Chief Minister Yogi Aditya Nath said that the crisis of credibility is the biggest challenge before the elected representatives. Elected representatives are with the people in their hours of crisis yet they are seen as enjoying immunity from the norms of accountability.
Yogi was addressing a two-day orientation programme for MlAs elected to the Assembly for the first time on Wednesday. Of the total strength of 403 as many as 238 MlAs are first timers and BJP accounts for 203.
“Whether it’s incident of fire, flood, water logging or any untoward incident or natural calamity, elected representatives are first to reach the troubled spot, some time even before district officers. Yet they are seen as unaccountable to the people,’’ said Yogi.
“It could be for three reasons. One, many of us are not serious about attending the proceedings of the House regularly and remain absent, two, instead of following rules of business for the conduct of proceedings, we prefer to disturb the House by shouting or trooping to the well and finally, many elected representatives face corruption charges and one rotten fish spoils the
dignity of the august institution,’’ added the Chief Minister.
“As on date, every retired bureaucrats and generals desire to be elected to the Parliament and Assemblies. It’s a beautiful institution which is the backbone of democratic polity. Besides the opportunity to raise public issues, it gives ample chance to shape and develop your overall personality,’’ argued the CM.
On absentee legislators, the CM said, "There is a strong perception that elected representatives can not stay at one place for long and keeping them at one place is like weighing frogs. Yet, I am confident that we will come up to the expectations of the people of UP.’’
Urging newly elected MlAs to follow rules of business of the House for raising issues, Yogi said, "Participate in proceedings of the House within the framework of rules instead of creating bedlam or trooping to the well.’’
Recounting his own experience as an MP, Yogi said, "I was member of the Opposition party. I raised the issue of conservation of Ramgarh lake of Gorakhpur spread in 1,400 acres. The lake was dying as sewage of Gorakhpur was being discharged into the lake. I met the then lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and she welcomed the idea and readily agreed.’’
"The then Environment minister Jayram Ramesh assured the House of cleaning Ramgarh lake under National lake Conservation Programme. The detailed project report was of Rs 124 crore and the matter went to then Union Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee. So far, Rs 196 crore have been spent on the lake. I succeeded in my mission as I raised the matter in lok Sabha within the frame work of the rules and succeeded,’’ said Adityanath.
Earlier, Governor Ram Naik inaugurated the two-day training and orientation programme of new legislators of the state Assembly by asking them to be non-tolerant towards corruption and dedicate their time for welfare of their voters.
" It is your duty to give honour and respect to party cadres and workers too, who have worked hard for your victory. You should make a committee for judicious spending of Rs 1.5 crore given to your legislator development fund and try to avoid giving contract to your kin," Naik said.
The Governor said that the new legislators should learn the most during the orientation programme so that they could perform well during the Assembly session and raise questions of their areas to benefit the people.
Assembly Speaker Hridya Narain Dikshit and his Gujarat counterpart Ramlal Bora also addressed the new legislators. Several senior legislators including a few former speakers would be addressing the programme too.
During the concluding session on Thursday, lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan is expected to be the chief guest along with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanth. Union Human Resources Development minister Prakash Javdekar would also lecture on contempt proceedings of the legislature.