NEW DELHI: Ahead of the special session of Parliament on Women’s quota law, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Friday that he was hopeful that the Women Reservation Act will be amended in the coming special sittings of the Parliament unanimously with the cooperation of all political parties.
Delivering the valedictory address at the conference of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) India Region West Zone (Zone VII) in Goa, Birla said that greater participation of women would bring greater sensitivity to governance, making policymaking more people-centric and better aligned with societal needs. He added that women are playing leadership roles across sectors and are contributing a fresh and constructive perspective to governance and development.
Asked about the amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’, (Women Reservation Act), Birla said the law was the first to be passed in the new Parliament in September 2023 when all political parties had supported it and it was passed unanimously.
“Therefore, I am hopeful that the amendments to the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ would be done in the Parliament with everyone’s cooperation unanimously,” he said.
The proposed amendments to the Women Reservation Act will ensure an increase in the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816, of which 273 will be reserved for women.
When asked about objections by the opposition parties on the timing of the three-day special sittings, the speaker said everyone is entitled to express their views but the responsibility for proposing the dates of a session rests with the government.
“The government has proposed the agenda for April 16, 17 and 18th. Subsequently, we will convene a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee, which comprises representatives from all political parties, to engage in deliberations. This is the established procedure and this has been going on for a long time,” he said.
Birla also said that use of unparliamentary words and display of banners and placards are not allowed within the House and within the Parliament complex. The Speaker said the language used should always be in conformity with parliamentary traditions. “Furthermore, banners and posters must not be brought inside.
We have issued a bulletin for this, and I have personally appealed to all members within Parliament, as well as to all political parties. It was discussed at the Business Advisory Committee meetings that the use of banners, placards, unparliamentary language, and sloganeering is not befitting of a democracy,” he said.
The Speaker said everyone has expressed their agreement on this point and efforts are being made to strictly curb the use of unparliamentary language, as well as the practice of bringing banners and posters into the House.
‘UNPARLIAMENTARY WORDS NOT ALLOWED’
Speaker Om Birla also said that use of unparliamentary words and display of banners and placards are not allowed within the House and within the Parliament complex. The Speaker said the language used should always be in conformity with the parliamentary traditions.