Speaker highlights Assembly actions

CPA India meet

Our correspondent

Itanagar, April 17: Attending the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA)-India Region meet in New Delhi on Monday, Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly Speaker Tenzing Norbu Thongdok highlighted the actions taken by the State Legislative Assembly for strengthening CPA-India Region.

He said the State Legislative Assembly has comprehensively revised the rules relating to the Committees of Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, which came into effect from October 2017, owing to which the committees have now become open to the media and public. Recommendations of the committees can be adopted by the House after discussion on a motion, which will thereafter become decisions binding on the government, he added.

He also said the Arunachal Institute of Parliamentary Administration is being set up to promote the idea of Speaker’s research initiatives as a continuous academic support system to ministers and MLAs, to build capacity among legislators and legislative staff through appropriate training, officers and the executive arm of the government for better coordination between the executive and the legislature.

The Speaker suggested for the future course of action for strengthening the CPA-India Region. He called for quarterly meets of all the Speakers of Zone III to evolve a Common Action Plan for strengthening the legislatures in Zone III.

He also called for restructuring the format of NERCPA meets in future so that the officers of the State Legislatures from the rank of Deputy Secretary converge and debate on procedural issues and present a report to the POs of NER Legislatures and thereafter the suggestions are deliberated by the POs and implemented.

Thongdok requested for substantive subvention from the Parliament and the Union Ministry and the Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs for revamping the functioning of the NERIPSTR so that Zone III’s capacity building exercises bear fruit.

He also requested the Secretariats of Parliament and Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs to liberally assist the State Legislatures in Zone III to build appropriate data bank on legislative and other matters concerning each State.

Speaking at length for betterment and welfare of NE region, the Speaker requested for allocation of suitable budget for providing technical assistance for promoting constitutional and parliamentary activities in countries, launch of NE Parliamentary journal, holding of session of both Houses of Parliament at least once in five years in any capital of NE States, holding of special session of parliament for NE region, among others.