Staff Reporter / New Delhi
Union Minister of Home Affairs Mr. Amit Shah and Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Mr. Nitin Jairam Gadkari addressed the Newly-Elected Members of the 17th Lok Sabha at the Orientation Programme held in Parliament House Annexe Thursday. Lok Sabha Speaker Mr. Om Birla also graced the occasion.
Welcoming the new Members of the 17th Lok Sabha on the second day of the Orientation Programme, Lok Sabha Speaker Mr. Om Birla said that the huge attendance of the newly elected Members in this Programme is testimony of their sincerity to learn about the parliamentary practices and procedure. He highlighted that the first-time elected Members have been given ample opportunity to participate in the parliamentary proceedings, in the Question Hour, Zero Hour, and by raising matters under Rule 377 and it will be his endeavour that all new MPs participate in some debate or the other during this first Session of the 17th Lok Sabha
Sharing his experiences on the theme “How to be an Effective Parliamentarian?”, Union Minister of Home Affairs Mr. Amit Shah said that as Members of Parliament of the world’s largest democracy, we represent on an average more than 15 lakh people and are the representatives of the glory and dignity of the Parliament. Mr. Shah remarked that the roots of democracy and republic have been present in India since ancient times and the country has appropriately chosen the system of multi-party democracy after Independence. Observing that the Parliament is the highest law-making institution in the country, Mr. Shah said that it is the duty of all Members to fully contribute in this endeavour. To become an effective Parliamentarian, it is imperative that the Members should develop the habit of doing extensive research on important topics, properly identify the issues that are in the Parliamentary domain, listen attentively to the debates, and effectively utilize the resources available in the Parliament Library, which is a treasure house of information. In order to understand the Constitution, the Members should thoroughly read the Constituent Assembly debates. He further said that having a sound knowledge of the Rules and Procedures of the House is very significant and underlined the important role of Parliamentary Committees which act as a watchdog over the Executive. He advised the Members to intensively study the subjects being considered by the Parliamentary Committees and also cautioned them to utilize the MPLADS funds as per the mandated directives.
Mr. Shah highlighted that there is a fine balance between the working of the three Organs of the State viz. Legislature, Executive and Judiciary and it is important that they function independently in their respective spheres. There is a growing need that the ‘Legislature’ should be further strengthened so that there is no encroachment of the other Organs on its turf.
Later, addressing the Members on the theme “Parliamentary Questions and Procedural Devices to Raise Matters in the House”, Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Mr. Nitin Jairam Gadkari said that said that the members should prepare themselves properly before asking questions. He emphasized that they should first decide about their areas of specialization. If they will raise questions pertaining to their skills, their views would receive more credibility and acceptability from the stakeholders. He urged the members to be brief while raising issues in the House and try their best to attain the requisite knowledge on the issues of their interest. He also observed that members should resist from asking questions with a vindictive approach as their positive conduct would accord more respect to their views. He stressed that if members would participate in the proceedings effectively, their voice would be channelized through media in a better way.
Mr. Gadkari further said that Parliament is supreme and our Constitution is the soul of our democracy. Its proper understanding will enhance the knowledge of members and they would be able to strengthen the parliamentary system. He pointed out that members should have positive, development-oriented and constructive approach to raise issues on the floor of the House. He hoped that new ideas of new members would build a new India.
The four-day Orientation Programme being organised by the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training (BPST), Lok Sabha Secretariat was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Defence Mr. Rajnath Singh on 03 July 2019. Lok Sabha Speaker Mr. Om Birla; Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines Mr. Pralhad Joshi and Leader of Indian National Congress in Lok Sabha, Mr. Adhir Ranjan Choudhury had addressed the Members yesterday at the Inaugural Function of the Orientation Programme.