People's problems will not be resolved through 'planned deadlocks': Lok Sabha Speaker Birla

Indore: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday said that "planned deadlocks" or shouting of slogans in legislatures can not solve the people's problems, and dialogue between Opposition and ruling parties is the need of the hour. Birla was interacting with local public representatives at an event at the Indore Municipal Corporation. "I want the House of the Indore corporation to become a model for other municipalities, municipal councils and panchayats with high-quality dialogues and innovations, as planned deadlocks or coming near the podium of a House and shouting slogans will not solve the problems of the people," he said.

Problems of the people can be resolved only by the voicing of agreement and disagreement through a dialogue between the ruling parties and Opposition in any House, he added. "Expression of views and opinions in a House gives clarity in functioning, fixes the accountability of the government and administration, and instils impartiality and honesty in the executive," Birla added. During the G20 Speakers' summit in New Delhi last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked about India's fair, transparent and accountable democratic system, and later delegations from several countries visited India to witness the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he noted.

The people's faith in the democratic institutions in the country has increased, Birla claimed. "Local bodies also have the responsibility to build on this trust by meeting the people's expectations and aspirations. For that, we need to evolve a mechanism in the Houses (general bodies) of local bodies," the speaker said. Proceedings of the meetings of municipal councils and corporations should match the level of those in state assemblies, and basic issues such as water and sewerage should be discussed through question hours and zero hours, he added.