Level of discussion in the House is declining: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu

New Delhi: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday (February 5) expressed concern over declining standards of parliamentary debates. He said that this has also dented the image of people's representatives in the eyes of people. The Vice President appealed to elected members to remain conscious of their duties and the office.

In a social media message, Venkaiah Naidu tweeted, "The level of discussion in the House is declining, the image of leaders is falling in the eyes of people. I appeal to all the elected members to remain conscious of the dignity of the post and their duties." 

Speaking at a virtual event after releasing the book titled “Parliamentary Messenger in Rajasthan”, the Vice President also urged parliamentarians to use MPLADS funds for Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojna to develop villages as model villages. 

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He also called upon the people’s representatives and governments to ensure that the development reaches the people without any delay, dilution or diversion. He also wanted the MPs to shun populism and guide the people on their developmental needs.

The book, authored by K N Bhandari, focuses on the health and education initiatives undertaken through the MPLADS in Rajasthan from 2006 to 2018 on the recommendations of Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi as Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan.

Noting that MPLADS aims at empowering people's representatives by enabling them to serve their constituents, Naidu said since its inception in 1993, over 19.47 crore works have been completed and the scheme has helped in creating assets across the country.

Referring to some shortcomings mentioned in monitoring reports on the implementation of the scheme, he also drew attention to several positives of the scheme such as the high degree of involvement of local communities in the identification of works.

Venkaiah Naidu expressed happiness over the government's decision to put in place third-party monitoring of MPLADS works for their execution in a transparent manner.

The vice president mentioned several suggestions made by parliamentary committees to further improve the scheme including timely release and proper utilisation of funds, a mechanism to monitor the quality of projects and their timely completion and the need for effective coordination between MPs and administrative authorities.

Naidu also called upon state governments and local administrations to ensure timely execution of MPLADS projects by following the recommendations of the MPs in letter and spirit.

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, Union minister and Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha Thawarchand Gehlot, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, Abhishek Singhvi, and other MPs participated in the virtual event. 

(With Agency Inputs)