New Delhi, Dec 29 (IANS) Although they form the backbone of Indian democracy, most state assemblies in India don’t hold sufficient number of sittings or debates on legislation and budgets, according to data compiled by PRS Legislative Research, a legislative think-tank.
According to the figures made available by PRS on the basis of a study of 13 state assemblies over the last 10 years, at least 10 states had sittings fewer than the Lok Sabha and many passed legislation on the same day it was presented.
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra and West Bengal had fewer average days of sessions than the Lok Sabha.
Maharashtra had the highest average number of assembly days with the state assembly sitting for an average 48 days, compared to the Lok Sabha’s average 72 in a period of 10 years from 2000 to 2010. More than 90 percent of bills in West Bengal, Bihar and Haryana were introduced and passed on the same day.
Members from the state legislatures were in the national capital to attend a workshop on various aspects of the budget organised by PRS this December. Many of them feel debates on budgets end without much significance, as members mostly toe their party’s line.
‘A budget, whether good or bad, has to be passed. It may be discussed, but not much of the opposition’s suggestions are allowed,’ West Bengal MLA Nasiruddin Ahamed of Trinamool Congress told IANS.
‘Even if the member of the ruling benches wants to criticise the budget, he can’t. We have to support it,’ Debobrato Saikia, first time Congress MLA from Assam, told IANS.
Haryana MLA Bharat Bhushan Batra of the Congress says the opposition is equally responsible for the poor quality of debates.
‘If you are in the treasury benches, you have to support the budget. The majority of bills are passed without much discussion. The opposition is equally responsible,’ said Batra.
‘When the budget or a bill is being discussed, they deviate and raise political issues. They will raise issues of law and order, or some other issue, so the debate becomes a mere formality and the budget is passed,’ he said, adding that many MLAs even lack knowledge of how to move amendments.
A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Bihar, Sanjay Singh said training sessions should be conducted for lawmakers to understand the processes better.
‘I believe assembly members should be trained so that they know the issues and how to take them up. There should be workshops as soon as the assembly is formed,’ he said.
Some other members feel the centre should interact more with states before deciding the central budget.
‘The centre needs to talk more to the states about allocations. The money coming from the centre is not going to the states. Usually, it is given to implementing agencies,’ Vasant Patel, BJP MLA from Gujarat, told IANS.
Andhra Pradesh MLA Audimulapu Suresh said consultation should be held with political stakeholders before the budget is made.
‘The debates and discussions on the budget are just not enough. We need more. Just as the finance minister discusses it with various groups, it should also be discussed with MPs and MLAs,’ he said.
(Anjali Ojha can be contacted at anjali.o@ians.in)
