lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Friday said that because of frequent impasse in the Parliament, people at large losing faith in the democratic institution.
Speaking at the 78th edition of All India Presiding Officers Conference here in Gandhinagar, Mahajan said that there exists a general notion that nothing concrete happens in the House despite spending sizable amount of money.
The situation is really alarming. This kind of negative impression indicates that people are losing faith in us (lawmakers), said the Speaker adding, “After the terrorists attack on parliament in the year 2001 security guards were died of their bullets but not a single MP was killed. Someone raised a question on it that how could it happened in such colossal attack.”
According to her that comment shook her as it is disheartening that how people perceived Members of Parliament. Despite the fact, there is a hope and there are people who have faith in the democratic institution and the lawmakers not only think
seriously on it but need to strengthen it, she added while addressing Speakers and deputy Speakers of Assemblies representing 27 Speakers, 24 Deputy Speakers of various State Assemblies and legislative Councils, besides the deputy speaker of lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
Stressing on the role of a Speaker to enhance credibility of democratic institutions, the lok Sabha Speaker said that Speaker sits above all others in the House and it is upon him how legislatures use their powers. The Speaker is expected not allowing the discussions in the House in wrong direction and ensure that the debates should take place in proper manner, she said adding that Speakers have a very special role to play by balancing between ruling and opposition parties in the House.
She said the opposition has every right to speak, but the government should be allowed to function. She urged the people’s representatives that criticism for the sake of criticism should not be the sole criterion of criticism. In this context, she said that though the chairmen of the Public Accounts Committee belonged to the opposition parties they did their job well.
Expressing concern over low attendance of MPs, MlAs as well as lesser number of assembly sessions in some states, Mahajan said that State Assemblies should meet for at least 60 days in a year if not the ideal figure of 90 days.
Meanwhile, the Gujarat Chief Minister described the Speakers’ Conference as an effective bridge to discuss similarity and uniformity in the proceedings of State Assemblies in the country. Such conferences are also needed to uphold the importance of decency and decorum of democratic traditions as enshrined in the Constitution, including small things like remaining present in the House, said the Chief Minister. She also recalled the contributions of particularly two great Speakers – Vitthalbhai Patel and Ganesh Vasudev Mavlankar.