Guwahati, April 11: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who is on a five day tour to Assam, inaugurated the 8th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (India Region) Conference at Assam Legislative Assembly, Guwahati, on Monday.
Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma; Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Harivansh; Speaker of Assam Legislative Assembly, Biswajit Daimary; CPA Acting Chairperson, Ian Liddell-Grainger; Presiding Officers of State Legislatures and other dignitaries graced the occasion.
Inaugurating the Conference, Birla said that the primary responsibility of the legislature is to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of the people. Therefore, it is important that laws should be made after thorough debate and discussions incorporating the needs of the aspirational sections of the society. Calling for active participation of the youth and women in democratic processes, Om Birla said that democratic institutions, from Panchayat to Parliament, should keep the youth and women at the centre of policy making. This will ensure greater accountability of the Executive, said Birla.
In this regard, Birla highlighted the efficacy of initiatives like Youth Parliament and ‘Know your Constitution’ in making people aware of constitutional values. Youth’s energy, ability, confidence, technical knowledge and innovation skills will strengthen democracy, Birla added. He said that ideas and visions of the Youth should be used to make administration transparent and accountable. He also stressed that lawmakers should voice the concerns of aspirational sections of society and debate on issues of their welfare on the floor of the Legislative Assembly.
Referring to Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar and Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, Birla said that our policies and programmes should be in the direction of achieving the goals set by the founding fathers of the Constitution. Observing that vision of the Prime Minister and his comprehensive action on education, heath, infrastructure and other areas are remarkable steps in this direction, Birla called for active participation and discussion by people’s representatives for robust and people centric policy making.
Mentioning about India’s strong and vibrant democracy, Birla said that Indian democracy is a guide for other democratic countries. He added that Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) is working for strengthening democratic institutions in the world and bringing positive changes in people’s lives.
