Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday stressed that the speaker of a House, regardless of the political party from which he or she is elected, must act with complete fairness and impartiality as the presiding officer.
At the inaugural session of the 86th All India Presiding Officers’ Conference (AIPOC) here, Mr Birla said the legislature is a powerful and effective platform for resolving the problems of the people and fulfilling their aspirations.
He also lauded Uttar Pradesh and termed it a ”land of the freedom struggle and the cradle of the country’s political, social, and cultural consciousness”.
He said it is through the legislature that the voice of the people reaches the government, and issues of public interest are addressed.
“India is the world’s largest democracy, and through dialogue and deliberation, we have proven that parliamentary democracy is the best tradition of democracy,” Birla said.
He claimed that the country is continuously moving forward with the resolve of a developed India, and the strong role of all democratic institutions is essential to achieve the goal of a developed India by 2047.
“Agreement and disagreement are the true strengths of democracy; democratic values can be strengthened only through diverse opinions and viewpoints,” he said, adding that ”increasing public trust in parliamentary institutions is our collective responsibility, and for this, our work culture must be based on democratic values”.
He said Parliament and the state legislatures work with a common vision and spirit on issues of national interest. It is necessary to ensure a fixed and sufficient time for the proceedings of the state assemblies, he added.
The Lok Sabha Speaker said, “The longer the House functions, the more meaningful, serious, and result-oriented discussions will be possible.”
”Only by giving space to all opinions and viewpoints can we make the legislature a more accountable, effective, and powerful institution,” he noted.
Earlier, UP Governor Anandiben Patel inaugurated the three-day conference at the Vidhan Sabha.