New Delhi [India], October 26 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on Monday said that people-centric development must be driven by dialogue, cooperation and shared responsibility, stressing that transparent, accountable and inclusive legislatures are essential for strengthening democracy.
Addressing the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum at the Parliament House in New Delhi, hosted by the Parliament of India, Pathania emphasised the need to bring citizens closer to democratic institutions by ensuring greater transparency, effective public participation and accountability in parliamentary functioning.
The international forum was inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in the presence of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh. Presiding officers and parliamentary delegations from 11 BRICS member countries and 10 partner countries participated in the conference.
Following the inauguration, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met representatives of the 11 BRICS member countries, parliamentarians from the 10 partner countries, presiding officers of state legislatures and members of parliamentary delegations at Samvidhan Sadan in Parliament.
During his address, Pathania underlined that transparency was indispensable for a people-centric Parliament. Citizens, he said, had the right to know the issues raised by their elected representatives, how public funds were being utilised and what action was being taken on parliamentary recommendations.
Highlighting the importance of women’s and youth participation, the Assembly Speaker said their adequate and effective representation in legislatures was essential for inclusive development.
Women constitute nearly half of the population, and their experiences can bring a broader perspective to policymaking in areas such as education, healthcare, security, employment and social welfare, he said.
Citing Himachal Pradesh as an example, Pathania said the state had achieved notable progress in education, healthcare and social indicators despite its challenging geographical conditions, characterised by high mountains, deep valleys and remote settlements.
He attributed these achievements to the hard work of the people as well as their elected representatives, who had consistently raised the concerns of even the most remote villages in the legislature.
Pathania also highlighted the role of Panchayati Raj institutions in strengthening grassroots democracy in Himachal Pradesh. He said Gram Sabhas enabled people to participate directly in decisions concerning local development, including road construction, drinking water schemes and improvements to school infrastructure.
Reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions, he added, had strengthened their participation and given them greater confidence in decision-making.
“When women participate equally in the decision-making process, policies become more sensitive and result-oriented. This is the true spirit of people-centric development,” he said.
Emphasising the broader role of legislatures, Pathania said Parliament was not merely an institution for enacting laws but also a representative platform for expressing people’s aspirations and addressing their needs and rights.
He called for making legislatures more transparent, participatory, technologically enabled and inclusive to strengthen public trust in democratic institutions.
Strong parliamentary committees, effective oversight, quality legislation, the use of digital technology, greater participation of women and youth, citizen engagement and effective scrutiny in the public interest were essential pillars of people-centric governance, he said.
Pathania further stressed that parliamentary institutions must ensure that citizens’ voices were meaningfully incorporated into policymaking and that governments remained accountable for their decisions.
“When citizens’ voices are effectively incorporated into policymaking, Parliaments hold governments accountable, and the benefits of development reach the last person in society, democracy becomes truly meaningful and development genuinely inclusive,” he said.
Presiding officers of legislative bodies from several Indian states, the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, parliamentary delegations and presiding officers from the 10 partner countries attended the forum. The Secretaries-General of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were also present. (ANI)
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