Chandigarh, Feb 14 Favouring meaningful discussions, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday told lawmakers of Haryana to do extensive study and have in-depth knowledge while making laws.
Inaugurating a two-day orientation programme for newly elected members of the 15th Legislative Assembly of Haryana in Chandigarh, he said, "Haryana makes a significant contribution to the economic, and social development of the country."
"The best legislator is the one who has meaningful discussions in the Assembly, discusses issues based on extensive study, and uses technology in this age of innovation," he said.
Believing that the Assembly is the appropriate platform for the members to become leaders of the state, the Lok Sabha Speaker said, "The more the public participates in democracy, the more transparency will come in the system of governance."
He encouraged the newly elected legislators to become the "best MLAs and to realise the aspirations of the people by making full use of the processes of the House through effective discussion and dialogue".
The orientation programme is being organised by the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE) and the Lok Sabha secretariat in collaboration with the Haryana legislative Assembly secretariat.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini; Speaker of the Haryana Legislative Assembly, Harvinder Kalyan; ministers in the state government, besides members of the Assembly, were present on the occasion.
During the orientation, Union Ministers, Chairpersons of Parliamentary Committees, Members of Parliament and experts will brief the members of the Assembly on how to be an effective legislator: Do's and Don'ts for Members; legislative and financial business in Parliament and Haryana Legislative Assembly; committee system -- the soul of parliamentary democracy; executive accountability through questions and other devices in legislatures; the role of the minister in legislative processes; parliamentary privileges and National eVidhan Application (NeVA).
Among the 90 elected MLAs, political veterans are former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Chief Minister Saini, seven-time lawmaker Anil Vij of the BJP and seasoned politician Raghuvir Singh Kadian of the Congress.
The largest number of first-timers belongs to the BJP, with 23 new MLAs, followed by the Congress, which has 13. The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and Independents each have two first-timers. There is a record 13 women legislators, with Congress' Geeta Bhukkal being the senior most, having been elected five times.
Savitri Jindal, the richest Indian woman with $33 billion net worth, is the lone Independent woman MLA and has been elected thrice.
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