Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani on Madhya Pradesh tour
*Devnani gave important suggestions in the meeting of presiding officers constituted to review the committee system in Bhopal Legislative Assembly
*The basis of selection of members in the Legislative Assembly committees should be party as well as merit*
Gopendra Nath Bhatt
New Delhi/Bhopal/Jaipur, July 14. Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani said that the Legislative Assembly committees are a small form of the House, whose proceedings are very important for the transparency, accountability and good governance of democracy. The basis of selection of members in the Legislative Assembly committees should be party as well as merit.
Devnani was addressing the meeting of the committee of presiding officers constituted to review the committee system held in the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly in Bhopal on Monday. Devnani gave important suggestions in this meeting of presiding officers held in Bhopal Legislative Assembly.
It is noteworthy that Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla has constituted a committee of seven Legislative Assembly Speakers to review the strength of the committees of the Legislative Assemblies of the country. Shri Devnani is a member of this committee. This committee is preparing a report for the strengthening of the Legislative Assembly Committees by doing a comparative study of the committees formed in the Legislative Assemblies of different states of the country. This committee also includes the Speakers of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly along with Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and Odisha Legislative Assemblies. This committee will submit the report to the Lok Sabha Speaker.
Devnani stressed that according to traditions, the parliamentary committees actually test the participation of public representatives, accountability of administration and the quality of democracy. Giving important suggestions for strengthening the committees, Devnani said that to increase the attendance of members in the meetings of the committees, the virtual online joining of members should be considered. He said that the consequences of the confidentiality of the work of the members by connecting them online in the meetings of the committees should be seriously thought about. Devnani believed that online meetings will definitely increase the attendance of members but we will have to be more careful about the confidentiality of the committee's work.
He informed that a report will soon be prepared for strengthening the Vidhan Sabha committees. Four-five years old cases are examined in the committees. He suggested that cases of the nearest years should be examined by the committees so that there is an opportunity to include the suggestions of the committees in the budget of the same year for their implementation.
*Committee reports should be discussed in the House*
Devnani suggested that discussion on the committee reports should be considered in the House. This will increase the interest of MLAs in the work of the committees. Discussion on the committee reports in the House will also determine accountability. Devnani said that discussion on the committee reports in the House will increase the participation of MLAs in the work of the committees.
*Answers to questions should come on time:*
Devnani said that many times answers to questions asked by MLAs do not come for months and sometimes the entire session ends but still answers are not received. He said that if the administration is not accountable, the role of committees will become ineffective. He told in the meeting that to solve this problem in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, he himself took the initiative and resolved this problem by holding a meeting with the Chief Secretary and all the Principal Secretaries, as a result of which answers to the questions of the previous sessions have been received on time.
*Rajasthan Legislative Assembly is leading in the direction of strengthening, innovation and improvement of the committee system*
*Two types of committees in Rajasthan:*
Devnani said that there are permanent and ad hoc committees in Rajasthan Legislative Assembly. Permanent committees have been divided according to their work. Committees that control the financial and administrative powers of the government, committees that investigate, committees that scrutinize, committees related to day-to-day work of the assembly and committee related to providing facilities to the members have been formed. He said that the members of the committee can only be members of the Legislative Assembly, ministers are not members of any permanent committee. Ministers are only the chairpersons of the Select Committee constituted on the bill.
*Formation of General Purposes Committee*
Devnani said that a 'General Purposes Committee' has been formed for timely review of the activities of all the committees. He told that such a committee has been formed for the first time in Rajasthan Legislative Assembly. This committee is chaired by the Speaker himself and chairpersons of all the committees are included in it. A meeting is held every three months, in which the number of meetings of the committees, progress of examinations, attendance of members etc. are thoroughly reviewed. He said that this committee has become a transparent medium to assess the activity of the committees, which has not only improved the functioning but has also increased the participation of the members. Devnani also said that now the decision of reappointment is taken keeping in mind the annual attendance of the committee members. It is also considered not to include those members who register very minimum attendance in the committee again.
Devnani said that only through committees we can effectively establish the voice of public representatives in the system of good governance. It is necessary that not only the committees remain active, but their responsibility and results also reach the public. This is our democratic duty and responsibility.
*Next meeting in Rajasthan:*
Devnani proposed to hold the next meeting of the committee of presiding officers constituted to review the committee system in Rajasthan. Devnani's proposal was accepted after discussion in the meeting.
*Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Tomar welcomed Shri Devnani*
Earlier, Speaker of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly Narendra Singh Tomar welcomed Devnani by presenting him a bouquet of flowers on his arrival at the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly in Bhopal. The two discussed parliamentary procedures, committee functioning and various aspects of democracy.
* Lunch with the Governor* The Speakers of the Legislative Assemblies of all the states participating in the meeting, including Devnani, had lunch with the Governor of Madhya Pradesh Mangubhai Patel. Shri Patel discussed with Devnani in the context of Rajasthan.
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