Committees must be strengthened through reforms: Rajasthan Speaker

Jaipur, July 14 (IANS) Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani emphasised the critical role of legislative committees in ensuring transparency, accountability, and good governance in a democracy.

Speaking at a meeting of the presiding officers’ committee held at the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly in Bhopal on Monday, Devnani described committees as a miniature form of the House and stressed that the selection of committee members should be based not just on party lines but also on merit and subject expertise.

The meeting was part of a nationwide review of the legislative committee system initiated by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. A seven-member committee of Legislative Assembly Speakers - including those from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, and Odisha - has been constituted to study and strengthen committee systems across state assemblies.

Devnani is a key member of this committee, which is preparing a comprehensive report to be submitted to the Lok Sabha Speaker after a comparative study of committee frameworks in various states.

During the discussion, Devnani proposed that the next meeting of the committee be held in Rajasthan, a suggestion that was unanimously accepted. He also offered several important suggestions aimed at improving committee functioning and member participation.

He stressed that committee meetings should focus on reviewing recent cases rather than those that are four to five years old so that the recommendations can be incorporated into the same year’s budget for timely implementation.

To improve attendance, Devnani proposed allowing members to join committee meetings virtually. While acknowledging that this would likely boost participation, he also cautioned that it is essential to ensure confidentiality is not compromised in the process.

He called for serious consideration of the implications of holding sensitive committee discussions online. Another key recommendation was to initiate discussions on committee reports within the House itself.

According to Devnani, this would not only increase MLA interest and participation in committee work but also enhance legislative accountability. He also highlighted the need for timely responses from the administration to questions raised by MLAs, pointing out that delays can render the committee system ineffective.

Citing Rajasthan’s example, he said that the issue was addressed by convening a meeting with the Chief Secretary and all Principal Secretaries, which resulted in timely replies to pending questions from previous sessions.

Devnani also noted that Rajasthan is making significant strides in strengthening and reforming its committee system. At present, 17 committees are functional in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly.

--IANS

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