AMN / Gangtok (Sikkim)
The 19th annual conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) India Region Zone III concluded today at the Sikkim Legislative Assembly Secretariat.
In his address Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla expressed concern over unparliamentary behavior and the use of undesirable words in political discourse and said that such incidents erode peoples‘ faith in democratic institutions.
He stressed that probity is an essential ingredient of public life as it has a deep impact on public opinion, and suggested that politicians should be restrained and dignified in their behavior inside and outside the House.
He stressed that the entire country looks up to the public representatives; what they say, what they do becomes an example, which is a huge responsibility on people’s representatives.
Birla added that the conduct, behavior and words of public representatives inside and outside the House should be such that it sends a positive message and establishes ideals in society and this applies to every democratic institution in the nation.
He also said that the responsibility of local bodies and panchayats is the same as that of the state and national level legislative bodies.
Birla appreciated the active role of CPA India Region Zone III in organizing regular discussions among legislative bodies.
Lok Sabha speaker said that the Northeast region, brimming with immense possibilities, is finding solutions to the challenges facing the region through extensive discussion and dialogue and is playing a leading role in the nation’s journey of development.
Referring to the various ambitious projects of the Union government for the North Eastern region, Birla said that due to the many important decisions taken by the government coupled with the untiring efforts of the people, the North Eastern region has taken a giant leap towards development in the last few years.
In the context of the three themes of the conference namely ‘Making Parliament and Legislatures more accessible to the public’, ‘Drug abuse and future plans to combat this menace’, and ‘Cyber Bullying’, Birla observed that all these three topics are very relevant in the context of all the North Eastern States and have been discussed at length during the Conference.
On the topic ‘Making Parliament and Legislatures more accessible to the public’, he said that in today’s era technology is changing rapidly, therefore there is an urgent need to be proactive.
Lok Sabha speaker said that work is going on in Parliament on an ambitious ‘Digital Parliament Project’, the main objective of which is to make the functioning of Parliament more accessible to the people and to make it an effective interface between lawmakers and citizens.
On the second theme of the Conference, Birla said that drug abuse is a national problem. He added that it is a borderless crime, which makes the problem exceptionally challenging.
Referring to the extensive international borders of the North Eastern states and the hilly terrain, Birla said that due to these factors, there is a high risk of drug trafficking in the region.
Lok Sabha speaker said that there is an urgent need for coordination not only among all the drug law enforcement and intelligence agencies but also among all border districts and states of the region to tackle the drug menace.
The valedictory function was attended by Governor of Sikkim, Shri Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Lok Sabha Speaker, Shri Om Birla, Chief Minister of Sikkim, Shri Prem Singh Tamang, Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Shri Harivansh Narayan Singh, Speaker, Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly and Chairman, CPA India Region Zone III, Shri Pasang D. Sona, and Speaker, Sikkim Legislative Assembly, Shri Arun K. Upreti.
Edited by Andalib Akhter