Ahead of the Budget Session of Parliament, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday appealed to leaders and Members of all political parties to cooperate in ensuring the smooth functioning of the House, cautioning against “planned disruptions” that undermine democratic functioning.
Addressing a press conference after the conclusion of the 86th All India Presiding Officers’ Conference (AIPOC) in Lucknow, Birla said frequent disruptions cause the greatest loss to citizens and weaken public faith in democratic institutions. Emphasising that democracy thrives on debate, he said the tradition of “discussion and dialogue, not disruption,” must be strengthened.
The three-day Conference, held at the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Bhavan from January 19 to 21, concluded with the valedictory address by the Lok Sabha Speaker. The concluding session was also addressed by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, the Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council and the Speaker of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly.
In his address, Birla underscored the crucial role of legislatures in achieving the national goal of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047. He announced that a ‘National Legislative Index’ would be prepared to make legislatures more effective, people-oriented and accountable. The proposed index, he said, would enable objective evaluation and comparative assessment of legislative bodies, foster healthy competition and improve the quality of legislative dialogue. A committee has already been constituted to take the initiative forward.
Highlighting the need for more robust legislative engagement, the Lok Sabha Speaker stressed that State Legislatures should ensure a minimum of 30 sittings every year. Greater sittings, he noted, would lead to more meaningful, serious and result-oriented discussions, providing a stronger platform for expressing people’s aspirations.
Birla also described Presiding Officers as “sentinels of the Constitution and custodians of democratic decorum,” stating that their impartiality, sensitivity and firmness determine the direction and dignity of legislative proceedings.
The Conference adopted six key resolutions, including a collective commitment by Presiding Officers to contribute towards the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’; ensuring at least 30 sittings annually in State Legislatures through consensus; expanding the use of technology for transparent and citizen-centric legislative processes; strengthening democratic traditions; building digital and research capacity of legislators; and creating the National Legislative Index for benchmarking legislative performance.
Plenary sessions during the Conference focused on leveraging technology for efficient legislative processes, capacity building of legislators, and enhancing accountability of legislatures towards citizens.
A total of 36 Presiding Officers from 24 States and Union Territories participated, making the 86th AIPOC the largest such conference to date. Expressing gratitude to the Government of Uttar Pradesh and all participating institutions, Birla said platforms like AIPOC strengthen coordination among democratic institutions and contribute to more effective governance.
The Conference, he said, marks a significant step towards making Indian parliamentary democracy more robust, accountable and people-centric.
