‘75 programmes on parliamentary democracy across nation’

Bengaluru, Sep 25 (PTI):
Celebrating 100 years of the Speakers’ Conference which coincides with the platinum jubilee of Indian independence, 75 different programmes on Parliamentary democracy would be organised in different parts of the country, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Saturday. “The tradition of holding Speakers’ Conference is completing 100 years this year. The first such conference was held in 1921 at Shimla and once again after 100 years, the conference is taking place in Shimla,” Birla told reporters here.
He said the participants would discuss issues related to the parliamentary democracy, including the objectives achieved in the past 75 years. “Along with it, we plan to hold the 75 different programmes in different parts of the country involving the smallest but the most important and responsible institution of the democracy, which is village Panchayat to Parliament, municipal corporations, legislative assemblies or Panchayats,” Birla said. The Speaker said this is the centenary of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) as well. In this regard, an important international conference would take place on December 4 and 5 in
New Delhi.
“The Speaker, PAC chairperson, its members, and the PAC chairpersons from other countries will take part in the conference,” Birla said. There would be programmes on increasing the participation of youth and women in Assemblies, Parliament and other democratic institutions, Birla said. Plans are afoot to hold an international meeting on participation of youth and women in the democratic process, he said.