Arunachal: Speakers, Dy speakers urged to go for productive hours in Houses

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Governor Brig Dr B D Mishra (Retd) on Friday exhorted Speakers and Deputy Speakers to have the maximal useful and productive hours in Houses which they chair.

Addressing the valedictory function of the two-day conference of the 18th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) India Region Zone III, at the state legislative assembly here, the Governor said that the speakers and deputy speakers should ensure that the legislative process in the country is smooth, well debated and objective.

“The speakers and deputy speakers are the central pillar, which supports the edifice of democracy and therefore, their roles are not only critical but also exacting, he said adding, with good pre-session interaction and consultation with individual members they would be able to have the best productive session in the Houses.

The Governor said that the Constitution of India is an evolving epic because from time to time, when needs are felt for inclusion of new articles in the constitution; it is done with utmost diligence.

“It is the need of the time to include a reference of the Fundamental Duties in the preamble of the Constitution in the same process, when the preamble of the Constitution of India was amended and words Socialist, Secular and Integrity were added,” Mishra said.

Fundamental duties can appropriately be referred to in the Preamble of the Constitution by adding just three words, and Commitment to Fundamental Duties’ after word Fraternity’ in the preamble, the Governor said.

He added that speakers and deputy speakers are ensuring the true implementation of democracy as narrated by US President Abraham Lincoln, who said that Democracy is a government of the people, for the people and by the people’.

Mishra also cautioned the legislators and parliamentarians of the country, while citing vandalism of US Senate during last presidential election, that they must remember that it takes decades to build up the reputation of the lawmaker bodies but it takes only an hour to mar the reputation.

Speakers and deputy speakers of assemblies and parliament are people’s leaders and highly placed in life and they can and must do everything for the weak, downtrodden and the needy, Mishra added.

Earlier in the day, the Governor met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at Raj Bhavan here and discussed about parliamentary contributions to the people.

Mishra conveyed the good wishes of the people of the state to Birla for enacting legislation for fulfilling people’s aspiration.

The governor shared his observation with the Speaker regarding the Preamble of the Constitution of India. He said that it is now need of the hour to include a mention of Fundamental Duties in the Preamble which would promote the commitment to duties towards the nation amongst the people along with the Fundamental Rights.

The governor also briefed the Speaker about the developmental initiatives of the state government and its challenges.

He said that the state government and the people are fully committed to bring peace and development in every part of the state and the state machinery is working with the spirit of ‘Sab ka Sath, Sab ka Vikas, Sab ka Vishwas aur Sab ka Prayas’.

The people of Arunachal Pradesh have a high sense of nationalism and take pride in being Indians, the governor said.

Carrying forward a valued tradition of Raj Bhavan, Birla on his maiden visit to the state, planted a sapling of Cherry Blossom’ in the lawn of Raj Bhavan.

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