Naidu completes first year as V-P
NEWDELHI: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, who completed one year as the 13th vice president of the country on Saturday, said that he has “effectively engaged” different stakeholders in the first year in office through his visit to 28 of the 29 states across the country.
Naidu’s office said that during the first year his engagements were focused on students, youths and farmers, and science and research and culture as 60 % of his total 313 major outdoor events were related to them.
Giving details of his outreach, the Vice President’s secretariat also tweeted on Saturday that Naidu has reached out to over 450 citizen everyday during the last one year in office. Besides, Naidu also visited 56 universities and addressed 29 convocations.
His international outreach was equally hectic. “Naidu visited three Latin American countries in his first year in office. Besides he also met 22 foreign leaders who visited India including Presidents of Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Prime Ministers of Nepal, Cambodia and Italy,” an official in the VP Secretariat said.
“Naidu visited Guatemala, Panama and Peru in May and held wide ranging discussions on bilateral and multi-lateral issues with the Presidents and senior ministers of the three countries,” the official added.
Naidu, who is also the Rajya Sabha chairman ensured passage of 27 bills during the three parliamentary sessions that he presided over, despite persistent disruptions during the winter session last year and budget session this year.
“The highlight of his one year tenure also includes decision on disqualification of three members of Rajya Sabha in three months, quick decision on the notice for removal of Chief Justice of India, setting up a committee to review rules of the House, taking up all starred questions for oral answers one day and a record 24 zero hour submissions on another day,” his office said.