86th All India Presiding Officers’ Conference Concludes
The Sunday Mail
Lucknow: The three-day 86th All India Presiding Officers’ Conference (AIPOC) concluded here on Wednesday. In his concluding address, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said that a ‘National Legislative Index’ will be prepared to make the legislature more effective, people-friendly and accountable, which will promote healthy competition, quality of debate and efficiency among legislatures across the country. He also informed about the formation of a committee in this regard.
Mr. Birla said that a minimum of 30 sittings should be ensured in the state legislatures every year, so that the legislature can become an effective platform for expressing the expectations and aspirations of the people. He said that the longer the House functions, the more meaningful, serious and result-oriented discussions will be possible.
The Lok Sabha Speaker also addressed a press conference. Answering a question about ensuring smooth functioning of the House during the upcoming budget session, the Lok Sabha Speaker said that continuous planned disruptions and obstructions in the House are not appropriate for the country’s democracy. When there is disruption in the House, the biggest loss is to the citizen whose problem was to be discussed. He said that we have to strengthen the culture of discussion and dialogue, not disruption. He appealed to the leaders and members of all parties to cooperate in the smooth functioning of the House and said that in a democracy, the people are supreme, and our accountability to the public is not only during elections, but every day and every moment. Birla said that presiding officers are not merely conductors of proceedings, but they are guardians of the Constitution and protectors of democratic norms. Their impartiality, sensitivity and firmness determine the direction of the House. Six resolutions were passed at the conference. 36 presiding officers from 24 states and union territories of the country participated in this conference. Thus, in terms of participation, the 86th AIPOC was the largest conference to date.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said that platforms like the All India Presiding Officers’ Conference enhance cooperation among democratic institutions, strengthen mutual coordination, and help make governance more effective.
Mr. Birla expressed his gratitude to the Uttar Pradesh Government, the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, the Legislative Council, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Secretariats, and all the participating Presiding Officers and representatives for the successful organization of the conference. The 86th All India Presiding Officers’ Conference (AIPOC) has proven to be a significant achievement in making Indian parliamentary democracy more robust, accountable, and people-centric. The resolutions passed at the conference are as follows:
*Resolution No. 1* – All Presiding Officers will rededicate themselves to the efficient functioning of their respective legislatures to contribute to achieving the national goal of a ‘Developed India’ by 2047.
*Resolution No. 2* – A consensus will be built among all political parties to hold a minimum of thirty (30) sittings of state legislative bodies annually, and the time and resources available for legislative work will be utilized constructively and effectively so that democratic institutions can be accountable to the people.
*Resolution No. 3* – The use of technology will be continuously strengthened to enhance the efficiency of legislative work, thereby establishing effective communication between the public and their legislatures and ensuring meaningful participatory governance.
*Resolution No. 4* – To continue providing exemplary leadership to all institutions of participatory governance so that the nation’s democratic traditions and values become deeper and stronger.
*Resolution No. 5* – To continuously support capacity building of Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assemblies in the efficient use of digital technology and to strengthen research and analytical support to ensure effective participation of elected representatives in debates and discussions in the legislatures. *Resolution No. 6* – Creation of a ‘National Legislative Index’ for evaluating and comparatively assessing (benchmarking) the performance of legislative bodies based on objective standards, thereby creating a conducive environment to encourage healthy competition with greater accountability in the public interest.
The plenary sessions of the three-day conference, held in the presence of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Shri Om Birla, discussed three key themes:
• Use of technology for transparent, efficient, and citizen-centric legislative processes,
• Improving efficiency and strengthening democratic governance through capacity building of legislators, and
• Accountability of legislatures to the public.
