NEW DELHI: Gone are the days when the school students and teachers used to participate in the orientation programmes prior to the new academic session but now apparently, it’s the turn of the newly appointed MLAs in the national capital to go through some training before they get accustomed to it.
As the Delhi Legislative Assembly kicked off its two-day orientation programme for its newly elected members on Tuesday, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla after the inauguration was seen tutoring the MLAs on parliamentary procedures, code of conduct and best governance practices.
He urged the MLAs to make the assembly a model legislature as expectations and aspirations of people from the new government are very high, Birla said the MLAs must adhere to rules, procedures and conventions of the House upholding the democratic spirit and constitutional values.
He also stressed on using technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and capacity building of members to make the legislature a more effective platform for executive accountability. Mentioning that legislatures are platforms for fruitful dialogues, Birla also highlighted that there should not be any deadlock within the House and dissent must be expressed in a dignified manner and through meaningful discourse. The Speaker urged them to maintain the highest standards of conduct and ethics in their public life as well.
“Public representatives must strive to be excellent listeners, as listening is equally important as speaking. A good listener is essential to become a good speaker. It is essential to work with the mindset of learning and understanding past actions, debates, laws, and new innovative ideas,” he added .
He further reiterated the importance of knowledge of legislative drafting and said that public representatives who are skilled in legislative drafting can make substantial contributions to the development of their State and government. “By good legislative drafting, an MLA can help the assembly and help the government in effective legislation and better public service delivery,” he added.
Talking about strengthening the democratic process, Birla said that both the ruling party and the opposition have important roles to play and that their positive contributions matter. Referring to the committees as mini legislatures, Birla also urged the members to actively participate in committee meetings.