Bihar Speaker bats for financial autonomy to Assembly on lines of Lok Sabha

Bihar Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha said that depending on the state government in financial matters affects the independent nature of the Assembly

Bihar Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha on Tuesday batted for financial autonomy to the Legislative Assembly on lines of the Lok Sabha, saying that depending on the state government in financial matters affects the independent nature of the Assembly.

Bihar Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha directed officials to visit the Lok Sabha and study the matter regarding giving financial autonomy to the Legislative Assembly. (PTI)

“Bihar Vidhan Sabha should get financial autonomy like the Lok Sabha, as depending on the state government in financial matters affects the independent nature of the Assembly. A letter in this regard from the Lok Sabha had been sent to the chief secretaries of all the states in December itself,” he said, directing the senior officials of the Bihar government and Vidhan Sabha to visit the Lok Sabha to study in this regard.

He was speaking at a meeting called to deliberate on the resolution regarding financial autonomy to Vidhan Sabha Secretariats on the lines of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, which was passed at the 82nd All India Presiding Officers Conference. The conference was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Shimla last November.

Parliamentary affairs secretary Brajesh Malhotra, finance secretary Lokesh Kumar and Vidhan Sabha secretary Pawan Kumar Pandey were present at the meeting, held in the Speaker’s chamber.

The Speaker said that the demand for financial autonomy was the need of the hour. “It was one of the issues discussed at the 82nd All-India Presiding Officers’ conference. Himachal Pradesh became the first state to provide financial autonomy to the legislature, while other states are also working on it. Bihar being the mother of democracy should take a lead in this regard,” he said.

Sinha said the financial autonomy was necessary due to the nature of work of the legislatures and it should not get affected by the executives in any way. “The governor happens to head the legislature, which supervises the activities of the executive to ensure smooth administration in accordance with legislative intent,” he added.