LS Speaker Om Birla calls for state assemblies to meet longer; wants uniform rules across states, Parliament

Birla, who is in Goa to address legislators on the ‘Role of Parliament in the Doctrine of Separation of Powers: Enhancing Transparency and Accountability’, called for a uniform set of rules to oversee the functioning of all state assemblies and the Lok Sabha.

State assemblies meeting for fewer days each year was a “matter of worry”, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla said on Friday as he sought ‘rules’ against members storming the well of the House, as has been the case often.

Om Birla, who is from Rajasthan, was elected the 17th Speaker of the Lok Sabha earlier this year. (Raj K Raj/HT PHOTO)

“The number of functioning days of state assemblies is a matter of worry for us. For this, we will also speak to the chief ministers of states too to ensure that assemblies are in session for more days, so that there could be a more constructive debate... Some state assemblies have very short sessions. State assemblies should be in session for a minimum of 60 days (a year) at least,” Birla said.

Birla, who is in Goa to address legislators on the ‘Role of Parliament in the Doctrine of Separation of Powers: Enhancing Transparency and Accountability’, called for a uniform set of rules to oversee the functioning of all state assemblies and the Lok Sabha.

“We have formed a committee of Speakers of the state assemblies and the committee is discussing. We will finalise it over the next session and we will put the new procedure in place in Parliament. We will also try to pass it [to] other Houses... There should be a common set of rules and procedures. Functioning should be common,” Birla said.

“There should be arguments and discussions, but there should be some rules or protocol about entering the well. Efforts should be made towards that. The House should function,” the Speaker said.

The event was attended by a majority of legislators in Goa including chief minister Pramod Sawant, deputy chief ministers Manohar Ajgaonkar and Chandrakant Kavlekar, Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat, assembly speaker Rajesh Patnekar and deputy speaker Isidore Fernades.

Om Birla, who is from Rajasthan, was elected the 17th Speaker of the Lok Sabha earlier this year.