Gangtok: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday praised the Legislative Assemblies of eight Northeastern states, which fall under Zone Three, for their minimal disruptions during proceedings .
Birla made the remarks during the 19th Annual Zone Three Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Indian Region, held at the Sikkim Legislative Assembly in Gangtok. The Speaker did not make any comparisons with other Assemblies or Parliament.
The two-day conference will witness the participation of several dignitaries including Pasang D. Sona, Chairman of CPA India Region Zone 3, Harivansh N. Singh, Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, presiding officers of legislative bodies in India, members of Parliament, and members of Sikkim Legislature.
During the inauguration of the conference, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, along with Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay and SLA Speaker Arun Upreti, highlighted the importance of the conference for the Northeast region.
Birla praised the Northeastern Assemblies for their minimal disruptions during proceedings and urged Assemblies across the country to bring more public grievances to the floor. He emphasized the need for a transparent governance system and highlighted the role of legislators in reaching solutions to public issues. Birla also emphasized the need to make assemblies more accessible to the people and encouraged greater public participation.
Birla also spoke about the Act East policy of the Union Government, which focuses on developing strong economic and strategic ties with countries in the Asia-Pacific region. He highlighted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visited the North Eastern region of India 51 times in the last 8 years, showing the government’s commitment to the region.
Birla also praised the Northeastern states for their contributions towards making India’s dream realized and highlighted Sikkim’s initiatives towards organic agriculture and environmental concerns. He mentioned that Sikkim has been a leader in banning the use of plastics for years, setting an example for other states to follow.
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The focus of the two-day conference is on issues related to drug abuse, cyberbullying, and making legislative assemblies more accessible to the public.
Lok Sabha Speaker Birla emphasized that these concerns are not limited to just one region but are nationwide issues that require a collective effort from every state government to resolve. He stressed the need to strengthen laws to tackle these problems.
Apart from Birla, the inaugural session of the CPA conference saw speeches from Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay, CPA Zone 3 Chairman Pasang D. Sona, and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh N. Singh, who addressed the gathering on the importance of the conference and the need to address these pressing issues.
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