New Delhi: Om Birla completes three-year term as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha on Sunday. Polite, simple-natured Birla is soft spoken. But nonetheless, he does not hesitate to reprimand the members of the House for creating disturbances during the proceedings.
Along with maintaining discipline in the House, he is in favor of getting the legislative business done while giving enough time to the members to express their views. During his three-year tenure, the Lok Sabha has made many new records. Since the introduction of Question Hour in 1972, for the first time during the 17th Lok Sabha, all 20 starred questions were answered in an hour.
Statistics of Lok Sabha sittings and proceedings of the last 18 years indicate that in the first three years of the 17th Lok Sabha maximum work was conducted.
In an exclusive interview to Ajit Pathak of Hindusthan Samachar, Birla says that better results come only from discussion and dialogue in Parliament. Here are excerpts of the interview with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla:
HS: During your tenure of three years as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, what are the major achievements?
OB: The 17th Lok Sabha was constituted on May 25, 2019, and its first meeting was held on June 17, 2019. The three-year journey of the Lok Sabha has been unprecedented. There has been an increase in the productivity of the House in the first eight sessions of the 17th Lok Sabha as compared to the first eight sessions of the 14th to 16th Lok Sabha. The productivity of the House between the first and the eighth session of the 17th Lok Sabha has been 106 percent. This was possible only with the active participation of the members; whatever topics came up for discussion, the members participated enthusiastically and when required they sat till late in the night and discharged their constitutional obligations. Due to this the productivity of work in the House increased. I am grateful to all the members for their cooperation and participation in the House in these three years.
HS: What challenges did you face as the Speaker in the last three years?
OB: Look, there was no challenge before me. Everyone cooperated in the smooth functioning of the House. I give enough time to all the parties and members to participate in the discussions and the members freely express their views. It is my endeavor to give maximum time to the new members and women members to express their views. Its results were also encouraging. 208 members who were elected for the first time raised various issues during Zero Hour.
Not only this, under the new initiative, the ministries are now being called for answers on issues that are raised during the Zero Hour.
HS: In the recent past, members of various parties including the Congress party have complained about breach of privilege. What steps have been taken in this direction?
OB: There is a process of redressal of complaints of breach of privilege. Members have privileges for the functioning of the Parliament to discharge their constitutional obligations. Apart from this, the law is the same for all. Any breach of privilege notice that comes to the office of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha is sent to the committee for its redressal. The committee examines the matter and takes appropriate decision.
HS: When will the new building of Parliament be ready and when will the work start?
OB: The work of the new Parliament building is going on at a brisk pace. It is our endeavor that the meeting of the upcoming winter session of 2022, should be held in the new Parliament House. Efforts are underway in this direction.
HS: There is such a discussion going on in the political corridors that in view of your performance as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, you can be given a new responsibility in the coming days?
OB: (Smiling) Right now, I have the responsibility of Speaker of the Lok Sabha and I am fulfilling it with utmost sincerity. I try my best to complete it with the cooperation of all the members.