Legislature falling short of holding executive accountable due to frequent disruptions: Naidu

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday blamed frequent disruptions and forced adjournments for the legislature falling below expectations in fulfilling its role to hold the executive accountable.

"Dysfunctional" legislatures, the vice president felt, lead to compromised governance as there would be no fear among the executive of being questioned in the legislature.

Good governance needs good legislatures to ensure the accountability of the executive to the people, he said.

In a video message from the Raj Bhawan in Chennai on 'Good Governance Day', Naidu said using various instruments such as the Question Hour, Short Duration Discussions, debates on Bills, elected representatives can question the government about implementation of policies, execution of various welfare and development projects.

For this, there is a need for 'good legislators' who give their best to do justice to the trust reposed in them by the people, the vice president observed.

"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," he felt.

Naidu is also the Chairman of Rajya Sabha which witnessed frequent adjournments during the just-concluded Winter Session over suspension of 12 opposition members.

He observed that Rajya Sabha lost about 61 per cent of the total Question Hour time due to disruptions during the Winter Session.

"This is a serious abdication of the important oversight function of the House," he noted.

Observing that good governance enhances trust of people in the administration and catalyses economic growth, 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.

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