Om Birla rues lack of extensive discussions on proposed laws in legislatures

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla further said it was our duty to have extensive discussions on the laws being framed with more active participation of MLAs so that no questions could be raised later.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said not enough extensive discussions were being held in legislatures at the time of framing laws and it was a matter of concern as public representatives were directly connected with people and closely aware of their difficulties.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla with Karnataka assembly speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri and CM Basavaraj Bommai at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru,(PTI)

Addressing a joint session of the Karnataka legislature on Friday, Birla said the legislators’ role was the most important when laws were being made. “We should make an effort to have more active participation while framing laws. There should be discussions and there should be no obstruction or ruckus in the House,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

This is the first time Birla addressed the joint session of the two Houses of a legislature.

The Congress boycotted Birla’s address to the joint sitting held on the last day of the ongoing monsoon session, contending that it would set a “wrong precedent”. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah said the Congress had taken a decision to boycott the joint session as "the BJP government is trying to create a new precedent in Karnataka Legislative Assembly. It has never happened before”.

Birla further said it was our duty to have extensive discussions on the laws being framed with more active participation of MLAs so that no questions could be raised later.

“When the Constitution was drafted, the sentiment was to make our legislature more aware, dutiful, honest and responsible so that a path could be paved for the social and economic betterment of people,” he added.

Birla's comments came in the wake of repeated disruptions of the recently concluded Parliament session when a number of bills were passed with minimal discussions on the same amid chaos. 

Former chief minister BS Yediyurappa was named the best legislator of the year 2020-21 during the day. He was presented with a memento by Birla in the presence of his successor Basavaraj Bommai.

Assembly speaker Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri said the award was being constituted on the lines of the best parliamentarian award given in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

“In the lines of best parliamentarian award being given in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha annually, Karnataka will have the best legislator award for members of the Legislative Assembly from this year,” Kageri said.