Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla urges new members to spend maximum time in the House
Staff Reporter / New Delhi
Union Minister of Defence Mr Rajnath Singh inaugurated an Orientation Programme for newly-elected Members of the 17th Lok Sabha in the Parliament House Annexe Wednesday.
Delivering the Inaugural Address, Mr Rajnath Singh said that as people’s representatives of the world’s largest democracy, it is important for the Members to remember that they are representing the nation, irrespective of their party affiliations. Mr Singh advised the Members to be well conversant with the Parliamentary rules and procedures, provisions of the Indian Constitution, Constituent Assembly debates and even objectively read the speeches/writings of famous political leaders. Mr Rajnath Singh further observed that it is important that the Members be cautious when speaking in debates, keeping in view the dignity and decorum of the House. Mr Singh underlined the fact that the Members should always keep in mind that it is the public that have raised their stature by giving them a chance to represent them and now it is their duty to work honestly for the people. Mr Rajnath Singh congratulated the Lok Sabha Speaker for the smooth conduct of proceedings of the House and giving ample opportunity to the first-time elected Members to air their views.
Congratulating the new members, Lok Sabha Speaker Mr Om Birla said that their election to the 17th Lok Sabha has given them the opportunity to enter the temple of democracy. He noted that the presence of new members radiates energy and it is his endeavour that new ideas emerge from this energy. He further observed that Members of Parliament make laws and thereby keep a check on the functioning of the executive. He urged the new members to spend their maximum time in the House so that they get blessings and guidance of the senior members. He stressed that members articulate the hopes and aspirations of their electorate on the floor of the House and Parliament is the best platform to raise their concerns. Highlighting the need for giving more opportunities to the women members, Mr Birla said that their participation in the proceedings would further deepen democracy.
Referring to his initiative to provide video footage of the proceedings on the mobiles of members and the facility of providing clarifications on rules and procedure at the residences of members, Mr Birla assured that Lok Sabha Secretariat would provide utmost support to their parliamentary work.
Urging the members to refrain from the tendency of coming to the well of the House and enforcing interruptions, Mr Birla advised the members to respect the parliamentary traditions. He also requested political parties to encourage the new members to take part in the proceedings of the House.
In his address, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines Mr Pralhad Joshi observed that it is the strength of our parliamentary democracy that we have been elected as people’s representatives in Parliament and as such, we have got enormous responsibility to fulfill the expectations of the public. Mr Joshi advised the newly-elected Members to follow the mantra of ‘dedicate’, ‘participate’ and ‘deliberate’ while participating in the proceedings of the House. He said that to become an effective Parliamentarian and to become role models for parliamentary democracy, the Members need to be regularly present in the House, listen actively to the debates, and be interactive in presenting their views.
In his address, the Leader of Indian National Congress in Lok Sabha, Mr Adhir Ranjan Choudhury said that democracy cannot survive without the Opposition which ensures checks and balances in democracy. He observed that if the Government exceeds its mandate, there is Constitution with us. As such, we all should respect the Constitution. He further said that our plurality is our heritage and we all should preserve it. Speaking on the duties of the members, he said that their first duty to serve the nation, the second duty is towards their electorate and the third duty is towards their parties.
Earlier, Honorary Advisor (BPST) Mr Raghunandan Sharma delivered the Welcome Address. Lok Sabha Secretary General, Smt. Snehlata Shrivastava presented the Vote of Thanks.
The four-day Orientation Programme being organised by the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training (BPST), Lok Sabha Secretariat seeks to help the newly-elected Members to familiarize themselves with various Parliamentary procedural devices and related themes, like “How to be an Effective Parliamentarian?”, “Parliamentary Questions and Procedural Devices to Raise Matters in the House”, “Jan Sampark Prabhari”, “Legislative Process – Bills (including Private Members’ Bill’s) Resolutions/Motions”, “Budgetary Process”, “Parliamentary Committees (including Financial Committees)”, “How to Make Legislation”, “Parliamentary Privileges & Ethics” and “Etiquettes and Ethics”.