Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. Express Photo by Rohit Jain Paras
Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Anant Kumar on Monday said the Union government has made a provision of Rs 750 crore to make all Legislative Assemblies and Legislative Councils digital and paperless.
Addressing the 18th All India Whips conference at Udaipur on Monday, the minister said that under e-Vidhan, all Legislative Assemblies will be made digital and paperless in the next five years. The Center would bear expenditure for the e-Vidhan of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, he said.
The minister praised Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje for an increase in average working days of the Rajasthan Assembly.
Raje said that for the success of the parliamentary democracy, the quality of debates should be healthy and in public interest.
“We need to ensure that a bill, which is in public interest, does not get stuck due to the ruckus in the House,” she said, adding that, “we have to agree to disagree and respect the views presented by the members.”
She said cordiality and grace regarding political opponents and their views should always exist and a debate should never be a personal attack.
Recalling her stint as an MP in Lok Sabha, she said former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the late Meenu Masani had laid best examples in parliamentary democracy.
Democratic debate was held up during their time, she said. “We can learn a lot from the parliamentary values they have set,” she said.
She also recalled former Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and said as a member of Legislative Assembly he always promoted young members towards healthy debate in the house.
The Chief Minister said the role of the House whip is important in the parliamentary system. As a floor manager, the government Chief Whip has to do away with differences and consult the members of opposition to run the house smoothly.
Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Vijay Goyal, said whips play important role in the House as they have to manage their own party members and the members of Opposition as well.
He advocated simplification of rules of the procedure and changes according to the requirements of present time.