Parliament is embodiment of people’s will: President
V-P Venkaiah Naidu calls for debate on freebies; says Parliament must sit for 100 days in a year
NEW DELHI: President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday said that in a democracy, Parliament is the embodiment of the people's will and parliamentary committees work as its extension and enhance its functioning.
Speaking after inaugurating the centennial year celebration of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in the Central Hall of Parliament House, the President said that accountability is central to governance in parliamentary democracy.
“As it is Parliament that grants permission to the executive to raise and spend funds, it has the duty to assess if funds were raised and spent accordingly or not. Parliamentary committees, especially the PAC, ensure administrative accountability of the executive towards the legislature. Without them, parliamentary democracy would be rendered incomplete. It is through the
PAC that citizens keep a check on the government finances,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu called for a wider debate on freebies for harmonising welfare obligations with developmental needs and urged the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament to examine this aspect to enable wider discussion.
Underlining that Parliament should meet for a minimum of 100 days and state legislatures for at least 90 days every year, Naidu said that there should be a political consensus on this issue.
Highlighting the role of democratic institutions in nation-building, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said that nowadays, these institutions are being seen as effective platforms to solve the problems of the people and fulfillment of their expectations. Birla further added that our biggest achievement has been that despite several problems, in these seven decades, we have emerged as the largest and most effective democracy in the world.
On the occasion, PAC chairperson Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that the committee works on nonparty lines with a spirit of dedication and service to the country.