New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday stressed to adopt technology for effective functioning of state assemblies and Parliament during the lockdown period so as to ensure the restriction measures simultaneously.
He expressed his views while interacting with 28 Presiding Officers of State Legislative Assemblies via video conferencing at Parliament House earlier in the day. The 28 Presiding Officers include 27 Speakers and one Chairperson.
Birla also urged state Assemblies to explore the feasibility of extensive use of digital technology in legislative and financial work and for other routine tasks such as meetings and file movements so as to make sure that stringent social distancing norms are followed in their respective states. “Assemblies and Parliament must adopt technology for functioning more effectively.”
Birla informed the Presiding Officers that the four committees of Presiding Officers have made substantial progress in finalising their reports and will submit it in due course. The committees were constituted to look into matters relating to disruptions in the House, autonomy of legislatures, tenth schedule of the Constitution and Information Technology and related matters.
Referring to the ongoing fight against the novel coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic, Birla said “the situation is largely under control and the government is fully prepared to meet any challenges”. Speaking about India’s efforts to reduce the effect of the pandemic outside the country, Birla said that wherever possible India has tried to help other countries by supplying medicines and other essential equipment, thereby living up to the ancient Indian philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam’.
In his interaction with Speakers of the Assemblies, Birla was informed that many states have taken proactive measures with regard to providing relief to affected people. He was informed that many state MLAs have actively contributed to COVID-19 relief funds, both at the central as well as state level. Birla assured the Presiding Officers of taking all the requisite steps to make sure that the stranded students and workers are provided with all necessary assistance in his constituency in Kota.
He also called upon all the state Assemblies to set up a control room for real-time information exchange between the various Assemblies and Parliament, which would allow MLAs and MPs to discharge their duties in a more effective manner in order to fight the challenge posed by COVID 19.
–IANS
rak/kr
-
-
-
-
