Kolkata, Jul 2: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will inaugurate a two-day orientation programme for the newly-elected members of the West Bengal Assembly on Friday, during which the MLAs will be informed about parliamentary customs, conventions, etiquettes and how to be an effective lawmaker.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha Harivansh, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Ritabrata Banerjee, among others, will participate in the programme, according to an official statement.
A series of technical sessions have been designed for the orientation programme to cover key aspects of legislative work.
The subjects include “How to be an Effective Legislator”, “Customs, Conventions and Etiquettes for Members”, “Executive Accountability through Questions and other Procedural Devices in Legislatures”, “Committee System in Indian Parliament”, “Legislative Process including Private Members’ Bills”, “Budgetary Process in Parliament” and “Parliamentary Privileges and Ethics”, among others.
The sessions will be chaired and addressed by presiding officers of state legislatures, members of Parliament, constitutional experts and senior parliamentary practitioners from across the country.
The programme is expected to facilitate the exchange of ideas and best practices, while enhancing the participants’ understanding of legislative procedures, parliamentary institutions and democratic governance, the statement said.
The programme will conclude on Saturday with the valedictory address of West Bengal Governor R N Ravi.
The sessions will be addressed by Birla, Haryana Governor Ashim Kumar Ghosh, West Bengal Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose and other dignitaries.
The programme is being organised by the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE), Lok Sabha Secretariat, in collaboration with the West Bengal Assembly.
It seeks to familiarise the newly-elected legislators with various aspects of parliamentary and legislative functioning, including committee systems, financial oversight, parliamentary privileges and emerging digital initiatives in legislatures.
It will also provide a platform for interaction and exchange of experiences among legislators, presiding officers and parliamentary experts. (PTI)
