Speaker of the Lok Sabha Meira Kumar inaugurated the Seventy-fourth conference of the presiding officers of legislative assemblies of India here on Wednesday. Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Kumar expressed concern over the declining standards of state legislatures in discharging their duties and called upon legislatures to adopt self-assessment mechanisms to be able to do justice to popular aspirations and expectations.
The five-day conference, which witnesses participation from presiding officers of 36 state legislatures, is being hosted by Bhopal after a gap of almost two decades. The last conference hosted by Bhopal was in 1989.
Hinting probably at frequent walk-outs and other practices that stall the functioning of legislative bodies, Ms. Kumar said that debates and discussions, which are imperative for the development of a vibrant democracy, are often marked by disruptions and other non-democratic practices leading to a decline in standards.
The speaker said that the conference would involve deliberations on topics like “creation of smaller states-a national perspective…self-assessment by legislature for enhancing its relevance” and “the role of speaker in the administration of legislature.”
Ms. Kumar also inaugurated an exhibition titled “Democracy in India: from past to present”, showcasing the evolution of democratic institutions in India, from democratically inclined ancient governance paradigms to the growth and establishment of modern parliamentary democracy.
