Team Herald
PANJIM: The State government on Monday held a day-long orientation programme for MLAs making them aware of the proceedings of the House and on enriching the quality of matter and questions raised.
The workshop was inaugurated by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who stressed on the need of organising orientation programmes for MLAs on the eve of every Assembly session to make them aware of their responsibilities and rights in the House. “It is necessary that we follow the House rules. Such training programmes are essential and need to be held in modules,” he said.
Delhi-based PRS Legislators Research – a private agency – interacted with the MLAs on matters related to the State Legislative, Central Assembly, how to table or raise questions, bills and motions. In all 27 MLAs, including the Chief Minister, participated in the workshop, organised by the Legislative Assembly.
The Speaker’s Office said that in the first session PRS representative MR Mahdavan highlighted the importance of MLA’s activism to bring to the fore issues pertaining to the people through right mechanism like calling attention, zero hour mention or seeking a special debate.
Also the relation between the State and Central legislations was brought to the notice of the MLAs pointing how legislation introduced by the Centre or State can impact the other.
The second session was a training programme for MLAs, especially first time MLAs on e-assembly, the concept introduced by Goa in 2014, when it became the first Assembly in the country to go paperless.
The session chaired by e-assembly portal developer Amit Tamba pointed out that since 2014 the government has saved Rs 10 crore which would have been spent on paper.
