AIPOC express concern over erosion of public faith on legislature

All India Presiding officers expressed concern over erosion of public faith on the legislature during centenary conference of presiding officers held at Council Chamber here in Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha.

Addressing a press conference on the outcome of two days AIPOC held from Nov 17 to Nov 18 here  Speaker of Lok Sabha Om Birala said that a resolution has passed unanimously to restore the public faith in the legislature.

We have shown concern over the issue as it is fact that public faith is being eroded as the healthy discussions and debates on the various public issues are not getting sufficient time; however it is
the prerogative of Government and executive to decide the agenda of the house.

Replying to a query that why a number of legislations and acts are being debated on the TV studio and road by the public instead of Parliament and Assemblies house by its members, Mr Birla said that a resolution has  passed on the issue we did not negate the conceron.

Mr Birla said that  CP Joshi Committee had also laid a report on the implementation of Anti Defection law which was discussed in the house
but could not be approved at the conference as some of the presiding officers have showed their objection to some of the recommendations made in the report.

” AIPOC also discusses the issue of disruption in the House during every session and a resolution is also passed in the house to draw the consensus by the presiding officers under the conduct rule. ” Mr Birala who presided over the conference said.

” A new model conduct rule book for the smooth functioning of parliament and Legislative assembly and council would be prepared to bring oneness in the working of the houses and learning from the rules book of the best governing houses in the assemblies.

He said that a resolution was passed to adopt ‘One nation -one legislative functioning’ (aik rashtar aik legislative karyawahi). Speaker said that there should be uniformity and oneness in the legislative platform to face the new emerging challenges in the parliamentary system.

A common digital platform would be adopted on the national level by linking all the assemblies and houses having record, library and debates and discussion which would benefit the members and presiding officers to deal with new challenges before the legislature.

This would help to improve the level of debate and new tradition after learning from the old debates on the one platform to put open to share by every assemblies.

Replying to a query about live telecast of assemblies Speaker said that  most of assemblies are already conducting live telecast of their house and some of the assemblies and councils could not able to conduct the live telecast of the proceeding of houses would be switched over to the live telecast by 2022.

Mr Birala said that AIPOC also passed a resolution to strengthen democratic institutions like Panchayat and Municipal Corporations.

The directions  have been given to all respective assemblies and legislative councils with the help of state Governments to prepare a conduct rule book to run the proceeding of such houses smoothly.

He said that every presiding officer expressed their views to end the disruption in the houses during the President and Governor address as the incident of disruption is increasing.

The presiding officers directed to bring consensus among the leaders of treachery and opposition benches before the President and Guv address so that such incident could be averted; moreover conduct rules of the houses would be changed to reduce disruption during the address of President and Guv.

The issues of delay in the supply of information were demanded by the members  also discussed and the conference and all POs have been asked to ensure the intime supply of information to the members.

The issue raised by the leader of Opposition of Himachal Pradesh Assembly Mr Mukesh Agnihotri that members are relying upon RTI rather informations being supplied in the legislatures Speaker said that the directions was  issued to the assembly speakers to ensure the
intime supply of queries and information being demanded by the members of assemblies.

There are also provisions in the conduct rule of houses that a member could apply for house query if his information is being delayed.

Speaker said that speakers of assemblies and legislative councils directed the conference to take up the issues with the executive if the information would not be supplied to members in time.

Mr Birala said that a resolution was passed in the conference to ensure autonomy of legislators enshrined in the schedule 10 of the constitutions.

LS Speaker said that on the analogy of Parliament and some assemblies the issue of Zero hours would also be adopted by the other assemblies and legislative councils where the Zero hours not adopt in their houses.

Mr Birala said that issues of setting up E-legislative and parliamentary e academy at Tapovan in Dharmshala could not be sorted out in the conference as all the parliamentary institutions under the constitutions would be within the premises of Parliament.

To make the legislature responsible toward the public a prize would be instituted by the parliament as a resolution was also passed in conference to honor the members of Assemblies and councils for their legislative achievements.

He said that winter session of Parliament starting from Nov 29 and a consensus would be brought between various parties before the session to run the house smoothly as the last session was washed due to pressistant disruption.