Naveen Patnaik asks BJD MLAs to use legislative devices for holding govt accountable

Bhubaneswar: Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly Naveen Patnaik on Sunday asked Biju Janata Dal MLAs not to leave any stone unturned to use legislative devices for holding the government accountable.

Patnaik said this while addressing an orientation and training programme for newly elected BJD MLAs, which was also attended by senior lawmakers of the regional outfit.

The Odisha assembly had organised the two-day orientation programme for MLAs on July 17 and 18. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju inaugurated the programme while Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh was the chief guest of the valedictory session.

Opposition parties – BJD and Congress – boycotted the programme, citing "breach of protocol". So, the BJD organised a separate training programme for its newly elected MLAs here at party headquarters.

"The training programme organised by the assembly had political connotations and did not give adequate respect and dignity to the chief minister in his own state. So, the BJD withdrew from the training programme organised by the assembly," Patnaik said.

While highlighting the importance of opposition in the legislative assembly, Patnaik said: "BJD with 51 MLAs constitute a formidable opposition. So, we must not leave any stone unturned to use those (legislative) devices for holding the government to account."

"Government in a democracy is of 'we the people' and opposition also owes its mandate to 'we the people'. Therefore, opposition is as important as the government. To make the opposition more effective for holding the government to account we need to be always vigilant and active. In fact, a vibrant opposition is the best protector of democracy," he told party MLAs.

Patnaik advised the newly elected BJD MLAs to be well-versed with rules, procedures, parliamentary conventions, traditions, to discharge their duties as a legislator properly.

Quoting B R Ambedkar, the BJD president said that in a parliamentary democracy, government is accountable to the legislature while the presidential form of government is based on the stability of the executive without making it answerable to the legislature.

That accountability of the government to the legislature is exercised by asking questions, moving several motions such as adjournment and no-confidence motion, calling attention notice, special, etc, he pointed out.

"These are part of the several other legislative devices which should be used effectively by all of you to hold the government to account. Besides, you should make full use of zero hour in raising various issues of public interest," Patnaik told the new elected MLAs.

All the MLAs need to understand how to function within several committees of the legislature which are called mini-assemblies. All members need to play a very crucial role in fine tuning the scrutiny of several bills which are referred to those committees, Patnaik stated.