Mumbai; 27 January, 2024

Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla inaugurated the 84th All India Presiding Officers' Conference (AIPOC) in Maharashtra Legislature premises, Mumbai, today.

Maharashtra Chief Minister, Shri Eknath Shinde; Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Shri Harivansh; Speaker of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, Shri Rahul Narwekar, Deputy Chairperson, Maharashtra Legislative Council, Dr. Neelam Gorhe and Deputy Speaker, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, Shri Narahari Sitaram Jirwal graced the Inaugural Session and addressed the distinguished gathering. 26 Presiding Officers participated in the inaugural session.

On this occasion, Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, in his video message, extended greetings to the Presiding Officers and expressed his confidence on the successful outcome of the Conference. He recalled the immense contribution of the Constituent Assembly in shaping the Constitution of India after consolidating myriad views and in the face of immense diversity and expressed that we can draw inspiration from their work and life. Exhorting the Presiding Officers to build a lasting legacy to guide the future generations, the Prime Minister drew the attention of the forum to the changing expectations of the people of India from their representatives and the close scrutiny they were being held to in the public sphere. He called on them to maintain exemplary behavior in the legislature as well as their daily lives as it was reflective of the parliamentary democracy of the country as a whole.

Shri Modi also drew the attention of the Presiding Officers to the facet of law making i.e. repealing of obsolete laws which he described as being a burden on the system and affected governance negatively. Informing that in the last 10 years the Central Government had repealed close to 2000 obsolete laws, the Prime Minister called on the delegates to closely examine their State laws and do away with such laws that hindered the smooth passage of governance. He also drew the attention to the recently passed historic Nari Shakti Vandan legislation and urged the Presiding Officers to work towards strengthening such endevours during Amrit Kaal. The Prime Minister also called on the delegates to encourage the youth of India to participate in legislative processes and be an equal partner in the framing of laws and partner in building a strong nation.

Inaugurating the Conference, Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla expressed concern over incidents of indiscipline, disruption of proceedings and unparliamentary conduct in the legislatures affecting their credibility. Shri Birla noted that there is enough space to give voice to dissent in the democratic system, therefore, disruption should not be used as a tool of protest and dissent. Maintaining the prestige and dignity of the legislatures and dignified conduct in the Legislatures are paramount but it is a matter of concern that despite having a consensus on these issues, we are yet to implement our commitments for smooth functioning of the House, noted Shri Birla. Stressing that the conduct of public representatives should be in accordance with parliamentary decorum, Shri Birla urged the Members to devote their time in the House on productive business. In this regard, Shri Birla suggested that concrete and definite action plan, including changes in rules, if necessary, should be prepared to ensure that Legislatures function sans disruptions.  

Emphasing on innovation, Shri Birla suggested that new and innovative methods of working should be promoted in legislatures so that the democratic institutions can better perform their responsibility of monitoring the executive and people's faith in these institutions will enhance. The good works being done by the State Legislatures in the socio-economic fields should be discussed in the House, best practices may be shared as such measures will enhance credibility of both Legislatures and people’s representatives among the public. Stressing on use of technology in legislative works, Shri Birla suggested that public representatives should be proficient in technology and use them to connect with the public. More and more use of technology will enhance efficiency of Members, noted Shri Birla. Capacity building of Members should be taken seriously be the Legislatures regular training programmes on rules of legislatures, legislative tools and using technology should be conducted for the Members, added Shri Birla. Shri Birla urged the State legislatures for digitization of debates in a time bound manner so that ‘One Nation, One Legislative Platform can be a reality soon’.

Referring to the role of parliamentary committees in democracy, Shri Birla noted that parliamentary committees play a vital role in shaping laws and policies in the present perspective. Parliamentary Committees are actually 'mini Parliaments' and they review these laws, policies and programs on behalf of the Parliament and make them more useful to the public, he added. Shri Birla suggested that parliamentary committees should work in a spirit of collaboration and inclusivity, using the collective knowledge of all parties to engage in constructive discussion and be productive. The reports of the committees which have brought positive changes in the society should be highlighted, said Shri Birla.

Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Eknath Shinde expressed happiness on Maharashtra getting the opportunity to host the AIPOC after 21 years. Shri Shinde noted that in a parliamentary democracy, the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary have important roles. He added that along with the role of the Executive and the Judiciary, the biggest role is that of the Legislature. Mentioning the legislative process Shri Shinde emphasised that legislators must make every possible effort to ensure that discussions, decisions and acts passed in the legislature are always in the interest of the common man. He added that upholding the dignity of every citizen is a Constitutional requirement and one must remain fully committed to this ideal. Shri Shinde also noted that the role of the Presiding Officers is important in continuously strengthening the Legislature as the sentinels of the Constitution.

Speaking on this occasion, Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Shri Harivansh said that since 1921, AIPOC has been the most effective platform for improving the functioning of legislatures and increasing their efficiency. The subjects selected for this Conference are very relevant in the present context, said Shri Harivansh. Observing that today disorder has become the order in legislatures, Shri Harvansh noted that the issue of discipline and decorum has been a major challenge for Presiding Officers over the years. Disrupting Question Hour and Zero Hour, not having adequate discussions on the bills being brought before the House, is a matter of serious concern for democracy and the country, he added. Due to disruption the legislature is unable to perform its responsibilities properly, said Shri Harivansh.

Welcoming the Presiding Officers to the Conference, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Advocate Rahul Narwekar said that the 84th AIPOC is significant in many ways, the most important being the reason is that it is taking place in a crucial period – Amrut Kaal – during India’s march towards becoming a superpower. He stated that fora like AIPOC are vital in strengthening democracy as well as reinforcing the faith of the people in democratic institutions and democratic practices. Shri Narwekar also stated that his expectations from the Conference was immense and he looked forward to the deliberations and sharing of best practices  so that all delegates can go back to their respective states  and enforce these endeavours. He also touched on the need for synergy between the three pillars of democracy to enhance their working. Shri Birla’s adroit handling of the Lok Sabha proceedings, in spite of many challenging moments, guides and inspires other Presiding Officers constantly to steer the working of their respective Houses, noted Shri Narwekar.

Shri Narahari Sitaram Jirwal, Deputy Speaker, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and Shri Ambadas Danve, Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council, also spoke on this occasion.

Deputy Chairperson, Maharashtra Legislative Council, Dr. Neelam Gorhe delivered Vote of Thanks.

Agenda of the 84th AIPOC is as follows:

(i) to strengthen people’s trust in democratic institutions - the need to maintain discipline and decorum in Parliament and the legislatures of States and UTs; and

(ii) how to make the committee system more purposeful and effective.

Ahead of the 84th All India Presiding Officers' Conference, Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla presided over the Standing Committee of AIPOC in Maharashtra Legislature premises, Mumbai.

As part of the AIPOC, the 60th Conference of Secretaries of Legislative Bodies in India was held today to discuss the following Agenda Topic on ‘Making Use of Cutting Edge Technologies in the Service of Legislature’. Shri Utpal Kumar Singh, Secretary – General, Lok Sabha chaired the Session.

On this occasion, Shri Singh highlighted the significance of 2023 in Indian history, marking the dedication of India's New Parliament Building and the hosting of the G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit by the Indian Parliament, culminating in a unanimous declaration. He also touched upon ongoing advancements in the Lok Sabha, such as the use of AI for simultaneous interpretation and a language localization project based on AI, which is currently in an advanced stage of implementation in Lok Sabha. Shri Singh thanked Maharashtra Legislature for organizing the Conference and for extending hospitality to the Presiding Officers, Secretaries and others.

Secretary – General, Rajya Sabha, Shri P C Mody and Secretary, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly also spoke on the occasion.

Source : Lok sabha Secretariat

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