UP Assembly truly a symbol of vibrant democracy: Birla

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday said the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly appears to be a “symbol of vibrant democracy” and credited Speaker Satish Mahana for employing good practices in the country’s largest legislative assembly.

Addressing the participants on the second day of the 86th All India Conference of Presiding Officers at the Vidhan Mandap -- the venue for the conference — Birla said he had visited the assembly before, but this time, it truly seems like a symbol of vibrant democracy. Praising the efforts of the assembly speaker, he said Mahana’s active participation (stands out) among the speakers, and his unwavering faith in rules and procedures inspires and guides everyone. Mahana has implemented democratic values, best traditions, and good practices in the country’s and the “world’s largest legislative assembly”, the Lok Sabha speaker said. He added that the experiences of the elected representatives, especially those with notable achievements, such as doctors, engineers, and chartered accountants, have been utilised, and the experiences of various professional groups have also been put to good use.

A 13-minute short film was screened at the conference about the changes implemented under the assembly speaker, including a women-only session and youth dialogues. Birla said, “The Uttar Pradesh Assembly organised separate sessions for women and youth to increase women’s participation in politics and to inspire women in all states. To increase the participation of youth in democracy, youth dialogues and discussions were organised, and very good efforts were made.

“The Lok Sabha speaker said the best practices, traditions, changes in rules, participation in democracy and new experiments of any legislative assembly are inspiring, and that is “precisely why we sit down for discussions”. He said, “In my six-year tenure, I have seen the changing nature of democratic legislative assemblies. I visited some and then visited them again two, three or four years later, and all the speakers had made changes and made great efforts for the active participation of society.”

Birla said that this was also discussed in the Standing Committee meeting, and he hoped that if valuable suggestions are given, a committee will be formed soon within the ongoing conference to work towards building greater public trust in state legislative assemblies and democratic institutions and to strive for positive outcomes from discussions and dialogues. Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh inaugurated the conference on the second day. The 86th All India Presiding Officers’ Conference began in Lucknow on January 19 and will end on Wednesday.