The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu today stressed that good governance needs ‘good legislatures’ to ensure the accountability of the executive to the people. He said that using various instruments such as Question Hour, Short Duration Discussions, debates on Bills, etc elected representatives can question the government about implementation of policies, execution of various welfare and development projects. For this, Shri Naidu observed, there is a need for ‘good legislators’ who give their best to do justice to the trust reposed in them by the people.
Shri Naidu expressed concern that the oversight and accountability functions of the legislatures have been falling below expectations with persistent disruptions and forced adjournments. “Dysfunctional legislatures lead to compromised governance as there would be no fear among the executive of being questioned in the legislatures”, he noted.
The Vice President observed that Rajya Sabha has lost about 61% of the total Question Hour time due to disruptions during the just concluded winter session. This is a serious abdication of the important oversight function of the House, he noted.
“If an MP or MLA does not discharge functions effectively, he or she would have no moral right to question the executive at various levels”, the Vice President stressed.
The Vice President paid rich tributes to the late former Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Chennai on the occasion of his 97th birth anniversary, which is celebrated as the ‘Good Governance Day’. In a video message from Raj Bhavan, Chennai, Shri Naidu said Ajal ji was one of the tallest Indian leaders ever and one of the most glittering stars of India’s political firmament.
Shri Naidu recalled how Atal Ji strongly believed in placing people at the centre of the development agenda and demonstrated how democracy can be strengthened through good governance in a people-centric mode.
Observing that good governance enhances trust of people in the administration and catalyses economic growth, Shri Naidu expressed concern that there is a ‘governance deficit’ in delivery of services at the level of State governments and local bodies. He stressed that such a deficit increases time and cost overruns, jeopardises the goal of socio-economic advancement and alienates people from participatory governance. This needs to be addressed on priority, he urged.
The Vice President noted various initiatives to improve governance such as introduction of Direct Benefit Transfer, opening of bank accounts for financial inclusion, and the adoption of technology to improve transparency, accountability and citizen participation in decision making. He called for the adoption of such initiatives at the second and third tiers of governance.
Shri Naidu also suggested better use of citizens’ charters prescribing time frames for delivery of services to improve the quality of governance.
The Governor of Tamil Nadu, Shri R.N. Ravi was present during the floral tribute to Shri Vajpayee.
Following is the full text of the message:
“At the outset, let me pay my humble tributes to former Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his 97th birth anniversary today. One of the tallest Indian leaders ever and one of the most glittering stars of our political firmament, the charismatic former Prime Minister was an outstanding parliamentarian, able administrator, poet, writer, orator par excellence and above all, a great human being.
Atalji was an exemplary champion of consensual politics, who, throughout his active political life demonstrated this spirit of understanding and give and take. A reformist with farsighted vision, his tenure will always be remembered for ushering in connectivity revolution and citizen-centric governance. I am happy to know that a week-long ‘Good Governance Week’ is being observed since December 20th, 2021.
Atal Ji strongly believed in placing people at the centre of the development agenda and demonstrated how democracy can be strengthened through good governance in a people-centric mode.
Governance is the process by which decisions are taken and the process of their implementation. Decisions are taken and implemented through an elaborate institutional mechanism to serve the needs of the society. Ultimately, governance is aimed at improving the quality of life of the people and enabling them meet their hopes and aspirations. Good governance is therefore, a measure of effective delivery of goods and services of all kind that matter for the people. Timely and delivery of quality goods and services is the crux of good governance.
Good governance enhances the trust and confidence of the people in the administration and brings them together. Large sections of the people feel that they are at the mercy of the government babus even though the citizens are supposed to be the masters for whose service the administrative structures are conceived. This is a manifestation of the governance deficit. Such a deficit is a marker of the low credibility of administrative agencies and jeopardizes the goal of socio-economic advancement besides alienating the people from participatory governance. Governance deficit at the cutting edge of delivery of services like at the level of State governments and local bodies is a particular matter of concern and needs to be addressed on priority.
Governance should inspire confidence among the people. Good governance catalyses economic growth by enhancing the confidence of the investors. Investment flow is directly related to the quality of decision making and the culture of execution of projects. Inordinate delays and the attendant cost and time overruns speak poorly of governance. Our country has fared poorly in this regard for too long a period. Determined efforts have been launched in recent years to address this menace.
At the centre, execution of large scale projects languishing for several years is being regularly monitored at the highest level and this has made a huge difference. Introduction of Direct Benefits Transfer has resulted in substantial saving of precious resources. Opening of back accounts on a large scale is ensuring financial inclusion. Technology is being harnessed like never before to redesign the architecture of governance with visible impacts on transparency and accountability. Citizen participation in decision making and governance is being promoted through technology adoption. Such initiatives need to be adopted at the second and third tiers of governance.
Citizens’ Charters prescribing time frames for delivery of services by ensuring timely decision making would help in improving the quality of governance. Some efforts were initiated in this regard but are still to be placed on a firm pedestal. Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Living are dependent on the quality and culture of governance.
Democracy is all about governance with the participation of the people in it through elected representatives. Having fought for freedom for ‘Swaraj’, the people of our country opted for democracy in one single stroke so that our people can govern themselves though the means of parliamentary democracy. This implies that the people have vested the responsibility of ensuring good governance for their benefit in the legislatures. The representative, deliberative and oversight functions of our legislatures flow from the mandate of the people.
But unfortunately, at times our Parliament and State legislatures are betraying the trust imposed in them by the people. Legislatures are the prime vehicles of good governance by discussing in detail the problems faced by the people; making necessary laws to remove hurdles to socio-economic development and ensuring the accountability of the executive to the people. But the functioning of our legislatures is falling below the expectations and is a matter of concern. In the 75th year of our Independence, we find our nation lagging behind some of the countries in the region who were behind us in the middle of the last century. To make up for the missed time and opportunities, our legislatures need to function differently.
The function of ensuring the accountability of the executive to the people by the elected representatives has a lot to do with ensuring good governance. Rules of Procedure of the legislatures offer a variety of instruments to effectively discharge this important oversight function. These include; Question Hour, Short Duration Discussions, Calling Attention Notices, debates on Bills, Motion of Thanks to the Address of President and Governors etc.
These instruments enable the MPs and MLAs to take the governments to task for omissions and commissions in all matters of governance including implementation of policies, execution of various welfare and development projects etc. If the functioning of the legislatures is derailed by persistent disruptions and forced adjournments, this important accountability function is seriously compromised.
Dysfunctional legislatures lead to compromised governance as there would be no fear among the executive of being questioned in the legislatures. Steady decline in the sittings of legislatures and loss of functional time due to disruptions take the pressure off the executive and the pattern of such disruptions would promote the habit of carelessness among the executive with serious implications.
The point is very simple. If an MP or MLA does not discharge functions effectively, he or she would have no moral right to question the executive at various levels. We are aware of the nexus between the politicians and officers and other administrative personal at various levels that results in compromised governance. It is the poor and weaker sections that are the worst sufferers of such poor governance.
Talking about the oversight function of the legislatures, Rajya Sabha has lost about 61% of the total Question Hour time due to disruptions during the just concluded winter session. This is serious abdication of the important oversight function of the House.
The point that I like to stress on is that good governance needs good legislatures doing justice to all the three functions that I have earlier referred to. Good legislatures need good legislators who live to the expectations of the people and give their best to do justice to the trust reposed in them by the people. The need of the hour is such ideal legislators.
Good governance is too serious a matter to be taken lightly. Our country has been paying a heavy price due to governance deficit. In the 75th year of Independence, we need to take a solemn pledge to ensure good governance.
That is the befitting tribute we can pay to the late Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee on his birth anniversary as he dreamt of such good governance and strived to ensure it in various capacities as a parliamentarian, minister and Prime Minister.
Thank You!”
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மக்களுக்கு நிர்வாகத்தின் பொறுப்புடைமையை உறுதி செய்வதற்கான சிறந்த நிர்வாகத்திற்கு சிறந்த சட் டமன்றங்கள் தேவை என குடியரசுத் துணைத்தலைவர் திரு வெங்கையா நாயுடு கூறியுள்ளார். கேள்வி நேரம், குறுகிய நேர விவாதங்கள், மசோதாக்கள் மீதான விவாதங்கள் உள்ளிட்ட பல்வேறு வழிமுறைகளைப் பயன்படுத்தி, மக்கள் பிரதிநிதிகள், கொள்கைகள், பல்வேறு நலத்திட்டங்கள், வளர்ச்சி திட்டங்கள் ஆகியவற்றின் செயலாக்கம் குறித்து அரசாங்கத்தை கேள்வி கேட்கலாம் என்று அவர் கூறினார். இதற்கு, மக்கள் தங்கள் மீது வைத்துள்ள நம்பிக்கைக்கு பாத்திரமான முறையில், செயல்படும் சிறந்த
நாடாளுமன்றவாதிகள் அவசியம் என திரு நாயுடு குறிப்பிட்டார்.
தொடர் இடையூறுகள், அடிக்கடி சபைகளை ஒத்திவைக்க நேரிடும் செயல்கள் ஆகியவற்றால் நாடாளுமன்றங்களின் செயல்பாடு மக்களின் எதிர்பார்ப்புக்கு மாறாக உள்ளது என்று திரு நாயுடு கவலை தெரிவித்தார். செயலற்ற சட்டமன்றங்கள் விட்டுக்கொடுத்துவிடும் நிர்வாகத்திற்கு வழிவகுக்கும் என்று அவர் தெரிவித்தார்.
அண்மையில் முடிவடைந்த குளிர்காலக் கூட்டத்தொடரில், மாநிலங்களவையின் கேள்வி நேரத்தின் 61% நேரம் அமளியால் வீணானதாக அவர் குறிப்பிட்டார். தனது கடமையை சரிவர நிறைவேற்றாத ஒரு எம்பிக்கோ அல்லது எம்எல்ஏவுக்கோ நிர்வாகத்தைக் கேள்வி கேட்கும் தார்மீக உரிமை கிடையாது என குடியரசுத் துணைத்தலைவர் கூறினார்.
சிறந்த ஆளுகை தினமாக கொண்டாடப்படும், மறைந்த முன்னாள் பிரதமர் திரு அடல் பிகாரி வாஜ்பாயின் 97-வது பிறந்தநாளையொட்டி, அவருக்கு சென்னையில் குடியரசுத் துணைத்தலைவர் மரியாதை செலுத்தினார். சென்னை ஆளுநர் மாளிகையில் இருந்து வெளியிடப்பட்ட வீடியோ செய்தியில், வாஜ்பாய் இந்தியாவின் மிகப்பெரும் தலைவர்களில் ஒருவர் என்றும், இந்திய அரசியல் வானில் ஒளிரும் தாரகைகளில் ஒருவர் என்றும் திரு நாயுடு புகழாரம் சூட்டினார்.
மக்களின் நலனுக்காக வளர்ச்சி திட்டங்களை செயல்படுத்தி, ஜனநாயகத்தை வலுப்படுத்த வேண்டும் என்பதில் வாஜ்பாய் நம்பிக்கை கொண்டிருந்தார் என திரு நாயுடு நினைவுகூர்ந்தார்.
சிறந்த நிர்வாகம் என்பது, மக்களின் நம்பிக்கையைப் பெற்று, வளர்ச்சியை ஊக்குவிக்க வேண்டும் என்று கூறிய திரு நாயுடு, மாநில அரசுகள் மற்றும் உள்ளாட்சி அமைப்புகளில் சேவைகளை ஆற்றுவதில் நிர்வாகப் பற்றாக்குறை நிலவுவதாக கூறினார். இந்த மெத்தனம் காரணமாக, நேரம் விரையமாவதுடன், செலவும் அதிகரிப்பதாகவும், இது சமூக பொருளாதார மேம்பாட்டுக்கு பாதிப்பை ஏற்படுத்துகிறது என்று அவர் கூறினார். முன்னுரிமை அடிப்படையில் இதற்கு தீர்வு காணப்பட வேண்டும் என அவர் வலியுறுத்தினார்.
வங்கிக் கணக்குகளைத் தொடங்கி, பணத்தை அதில் நேரடியாக வரவு வைப்பது, வெளிப்படைத்தன்மையை மேம்படுத்த தொழில்நுட்பத்தை கையாளுவது, முடிவு எடுப்பதில் மக்களைப் பங்கேற்க வைப்பது என நிர்வாகத்தை மேம்படுத்த எடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ள முன்முயற்சிகளைக் குடியரசு துணைத்தலைவர் விவரித்தார். இந்த முன்முயற்சிகள் இரண்டாம் மற்றும் மூன்றாம் கட்ட நிர்வாகத்திலும் மேற்கொள்ளப்பட வேண்டும் என அவர் வலியுறுத்தினார்.
நிர்வாகத்தின் தரத்தை முன்னேற்ற, குறிப்பிட்ட காலவரையறையுடன் கூடிய சிறந்த மக்கள் சாசனங்களைப் பின்பற்ற வேண்டும் என்று அவர் கேட்டுக் கொண்டார்.
இந்த நிகழ்ச்சியில் நமிழக ஆளுநர் ஆர்.என்.ரவி கலந்து கொண்டார்
–எஸ்.சதிஸ் சர்மா