Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday asked the opposition to refrain from criticism for the sake of it. He said that the members of the House should follow the etiquettes and courtesies of legislative procedures.
“Members of the opposition should play a constructive and positive role in the interest of the people,” he said while addressing the MlAs during the inaugural session of the two-day special orientation programme for the elected members at the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.
The event is jointly organized by the Vidhan Sabha and the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute for Public Administration, Punjab.
“Constructive opposition of the government's policies and programmes will help it achieve better results in implementing pro-people initiatives, and members should follow the etiquettes and legislative procedures, traditions, courtesies and conventions for discussions in the House,” he said.
“The Congress Government in the State welcomes healthy criticism, but the opposition should refrain from criticism for the sake of criticism,” he added.
The sessions, during the progarmme, will be conducted by experts and would benefit first-time legislators by helping them understand legislative procedures and the correct manner to raise issues during proceedings, he said.
The discussions will also help MlAs become aware of their rights during the Question Hour and Zero Hour, said the Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister urged the members to adopt a value-based and ethical approach while raising issues related to their assembly constituencies and the state.
Recalling his experience as an MP, Capt Amarinder said that late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi used to hold regular orientation programmes for parliamentarians, and remembered participating in one such session in Surajkund in Haryana.
Speaker Rana KP Singh said that the initiative was aimed at transferring knowledge on legislative traditions and practices to new members.
The programme, he said, would help equip members to fulfil their roles and responsibilities in the interest of the people.
leader of Opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira said that it would strengthen the legislature and particularly help first-time legislators.
He stressed on the need to hold sufficient sittings of the House to allow members raise issues concerning their constituencies.
Recalling that in the previous session of the assembly, a first-time MlA had crossed the floor of the House in a wrong manner, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Brahm Mohindra said that it was imperative to provide them with the necessary training in the etiquettes and procedures of the House.
Mohindra urged the members to go through the Vidhan Sabha handbook carefully and also called upon them to take matters related to the various Vidhan Sabha Committees seriously.
He also underlined the need for the civil and police administration to give due respect to the MlAs, who were even higher in protocol than the Chief Secretary.