UP Assembly's monsoon session to be remembered for showcasing democracy's true beauty: Speaker

Lucknow, Aug 18 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana on Monday said the Assembly's monsoon session this year will be remembered for showcasing the "true beauty of democracy" through constructive debates and disciplined proceedings.

He told reporters that the House held a two-day discussion on "Viksit Bharat, Viksit Uttar Pradesh, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Atmanirbhar Uttar Pradesh".

It enriched democratic traditions and added new depth to the idea of a developed India and Uttar Pradesh, Mahana said.

The Assembly speaker said 193 members participated in the debate, including 120 from the ruling side and 70 from the opposition. Thirty-one ministers and 24 women MLAs also took part in the discussion.

"Every member wanted to speak. Those who got the chance were satisfied, while some who could not express themselves due to time limits showed slight disappointment," Mahana added.

Asserting that the Monsoon session, though brief, was highly productive, the speaker said the House functioned for 32 hours and 28 minutes, with only 43 minutes lost to adjournments.

"This effective working time of over 31 hours is a positive sign for democracy," he noted.

A total of 193 members took part in the debate, including 105 from the BJP, seven from Apna Dal, two each from the Rashtriya Lok Dal and the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, four from the Nishad Party, three Independents, 65 from the Samajwadi Party, two from the Congress, one from BSP and two from the Jansatta Dal, he said.

Mahana said that both the treasury and opposition benches expressed their views openly during the monsoon session, which he described as the "true beauty of democracy." For the first time, all notices submitted by members were accepted, the speaker said, adding that under the new rules, every notice must be answered by the department concerned, which made the departments more responsible and active.

He added that since assuming charge as Speaker in March 2022, efforts have been made to bring in innovations in every session in traditions, conduct and procedure to further strengthen the dignity of the legislature.

The latest session of the Assembly was held last week in Lucknow and concluded with a rare 24-hour marathon debate on the state's "Vision 2047" document. The discussion was aimed at charting Uttar Pradesh's long-term roadmap in line with India's development goals for 2047. PTI KIS NSD NSD