Om Birla said voters have deep faith in the electoral process and expect their representatives to raise issues in legislatures and work towards solutions.
The Speaker called for more legislative sittings, urging state assemblies to meet for at least 30 days annually to strengthen democratic institutions.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday said people place deep faith in the electoral process, expecting their elected representatives to bring their problems, difficulties and challenges to the legislature and work towards resolving them.
Addressing the concluding session of the 86th All India Presiding Officers' Conference and the 62nd Conference of Secretaries of Legislative Bodies, Birla said the legislature serves as the forum through which the voice of the last person reaches the government.
“When a citizen casts his vote, he does so with the belief that for the next five years his elected representative will place his issues before the House and that solutions will emerge,” the Speaker said.
Drawing a comparison with the judiciary, Birla noted that just as people trust courts to hear them fairly, they also expect legislatures to function with a constructive and positive outlook.
“If representatives raise issues with a positive intent and provide direction through meaningful debate, outcomes will surely follow through the legislature,” he said.
Birla said conferences of presiding officers and secretaries play an important role in strengthening democratic institutions and making them more responsive, transparent and accountable to public expectations.
He stressed the need to increase the number of legislative sittings, recalling repeated concerns over the declining duration of House proceedings. Birla said efforts should be made to ensure that state legislatures sit for at least 30 days each year and engage in positive, issue-based discussions.
The Speaker also underlined the importance of continuous dialogue, innovation and reforms to bring democratic institutions closer to the people and align their functioning with the objective of building a developed India.
Speaking in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha Speaker Satish Mahana, Birla praised the state for initiatives taken to strengthen democratic values.
He added that sustained discussion and dialogue within legislatures would help states move steadily towards development and good governance.
(with PTI inputs)
