Chandigarh: Haryana Legislative Assembly Speaker Harvinder Kalyan convened a meeting with chairpersons of various House committees, emphasizing the need to make these panels more effective and people-centric. The meeting also marked the addition of the 'Women Empowerment Committee' led by Kalka MLA Shakti Rani Sharma to the existing list of House committees.
Women Empowerment Committee Established
During a special assembly session on April 27, the Speaker had announced the formation of a committee on women empowerment as a mark of respect for women. The committee is now operational, with Shakti Rani Sharma at its helm.
Strengthening Committee Functioning
The Speaker offered several suggestions to strengthen the functioning of House committees, stressing the importance of advance planning. Kalyan stated, "After preparing an advance plan on the agenda, preparation should be made for the meeting." He also emphasized effective reporting after meetings and follow-up on recommendations made by the committees.
Coordination and Accountability
Kalyan noted that committees must function effectively by coordinating between the legislative assembly secretariat, the state government, and the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). He stressed ensuring timely responses from concerned departments and maintaining attendance of members in committee meetings.
The Speaker assured committee heads that the legislative assembly secretariat is capable of providing all kinds of assistance and urged them to make full use of available resources. "Administration can be made accountable to the legislature only by strengthening the functioning of the committees," he said. He added that in India's constitutional democratic system, the legislature and executive are not rivals but cooperative institutions, both serving the public interest. Assembly committees are the most effective tools in fulfilling this objective.
