Working of Assembly sessions

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Context: The Vice President stressed the need for legislatures to meet more often and for longer duration.

 

Details:

• Addressing the members of Mizoram Legislative Assembly, the Vice President suggested that the Assembly sessions should meet for longer duration so that there is adequate time for law making, discussing issues of larger public interest and ensuring accountability of the executive.

 

State Legislative Assembly of India:

• The State Legislative Assembly, or Vidhan Sabha, is a legislative body in the states and union territories of India.
  • Bicameral State legislatures with the upper house being State Legislative Council in 6 States, other States and UTs are Unicameral State Legislature with only Lower house or Legislative assembly.
• Each Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) is directly elected to serve 5 year terms.
• The Constitution of India states that a State Legislative Assembly must have no less than 60 and no more than 500 members however an exception may be granted via an Act of Parliament as is the case in the states of Goa, Sikkim, Mizoram and the union territory of Puducherry which have fewer than 60 members.
• A State Legislative Assembly may be dissolved:
  • During State emergency.
  • By the Governor on request of the Chief Minister.
  • If a motion of no confidence is passed against the ruling majority party or coalition.
• A State Legislative Assembly holds equal legislative power with the upper house of state legislature, the State Legislative Council, except in the area of dissolution of state government and passing of money bills, in which case the State Legislative Assembly has the ultimate authority.
  • A money bill can only be introduced in the State Legislative Assembly. In bicameral jurisdictions, after it is passed in the State Legislative Assembly, it is sent to the State Legislative Council, where it can be kept for a maximum time of 14 days.
  • In matters related to ordinary bills, the will of the State Legislative Assembly prevails and there is no provision of joint sitting. In such cases, the State Legislative Council can delay the legislation by a maximum of 4 months (3 months in the first visit and 1 month in the second visit of the bill).
• The Legislative Assembly of the state has the power to create or abolish the State Legislative Council by passing a resolution to that effect by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting.

 

Way Forward:

• Legislators should meaningfully debate and not disrupt the proceedings of the House. People's aspirations must be heard and respected.
• Our democracy is one of the oldest and the largest democracies in the world; we must strengthen the grand democratic tradition of our nation. We must have more sittings of legislatures and more constructive debates in each session.

 

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1804702