Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla
Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: India will soon set up friendship groups with parliaments of different countries, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said in the wake of success of the seven all-party delegations that toured across the globe after the Pahalgam terror attack and the ongoing Operation Sindoor.
“We are working on setting up parliamentary friendship groups as such requests have been made by several countries,” Birla told reporters here on the sidelines of the two-day National Conference of Estimates Committees of Parliament and State/UT Legislative Bodies.
The statement from the Speaker comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the members of these delegations who conveyed to him the desire expressed by several countries to institutionalise the mechanism of parliamentary friendship groups.
Earlier, Birla released a Souvenir commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Committee on Estimates of the Parliament of India.
Birla oted that the 75 years of the Estimates Committee represented not just a celebration of its achievements, but a reflection of its evolving role in safeguarding democratic values through financial discipline, administrative efficiency, and systemic reforms. Over the decades, the Committee has grown into a crucial oversight mechanism that examines budgetary estimates, evaluates implementation, and provides actionable recommendations to improve government performance, he added. He highlighted that the Committee has made path breaking contributions in several key areas, including reorganization of Secretariat, operational capacity and capacity of railways, public sector undertakings, rejuvenation of the Ganga River.
"Governments have accepted 90 to 95 per cent recommendations of the Committee,” he said.
Mentioning that Parliamentary Committees serve as vital forums for in-depth debate, constructive discussion, and ensuring executive accountability, Shri Birla emphasized that these committees play a crucial role in strengthening democratic processes by fostering informed deliberation beyond political lines. He noted that the purpose of Parliamentary Committees is not to serve as platforms for opposition or levelling allegations, but rather to collaboratively examine policies, scrutinize government functioning, and contribute to better governance through consensus and expertise-driven recommendations.
He advocated for the integration of digital tools, data analytics platforms, and artificial intelligence in the functioning of Parliamentary Committees to conduct in-depth scrutiny and make evidence-based recommendations.
He called upon the Chairpersons of Estimates Committees from State Legislatures to act as stewards of financial accountability at the state level. He noted that as important pillars of federal governance, State Legislatures can play a transformative role by ensuring fiscal prudence and responsible spending in state departments. He encouraged state-level Estimates Committees to draw inspiration from the practices of the Parliamentary Committee and to harmonize efforts through mutual learning and regular institutional dialogue.
The Speaker acknowledged the emerging challenges in governance, including increased public expenditure, growing complexity of schemes, and rapid technological change. He pointed out that the Estimates Committee has, over the years, consistently contributed to budgetary reforms aimed at improving transparency and aligning expenditures with national development goals.