Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir has taken
several steps to streamline working of the state legislature
to derive accountability, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said
today.
"Unless legislators allow the House to run without
disturbing its proceedings, they will not be able to get
answers from the government and make it accountable for its
functioning," Abdullah said at a symposium held here as a part
of the 75th All India Presiding Officers Conference.
"In Jammu and Kashmir, we have taken several steps to
streamline the working of the state legislature and to ensure
greater accountability," he said and claimed that during the
last budget session, no day of business was lost and no
Question Hour adjourned.
The legislators fail in their duties if they are not able
to make the government answerable in the House. It becomes
easy for the ministers to avoid volleys of supplementaries and
questions when the House gets adjourned, Abdullah said during
the discussion on 'performance of the legislators in the
House- Ensuring accountability to the people'.
"Time has come when we should abdicate this practice and
make the Houses as role models for the world to emulate
niceties and discipline," he added.
Abdullah said higher impact can be created and larger
issues raised in shorter speeches. "This technique and
aptitude is more relevant and befitting."
He said legislative bodies have also to choose how the
media is utilised to help make the government accountable.
The Business Advisory Committee of the J-K Legislature,
representing all political parties, has taken unanimous
decision not to disrupt Question Hour at any stage.
The rules of procedure and conduct of business in the
House have been amended to make it binding on the government
to implement the recommendations of various House Committees
within six months from the date of presentation of such report
or the interim report in the House, Abdullah said.
Acting Chairman of the J-K Legislative Council, Arvinder
Singh Mickey, said "we have to encourage media to play a more
positive role to add to the process of socio-legal
development."
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, June 22, 2010, 18:28