The Speaker of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly has proposed a “no work, no pay” rule for members of all state legislatures.
Chintakayala Ayyannapatrudu was speaking on Sunday at an event in Tirupati where Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was present. The first ‘National Conference of Parliamentary and Legislative Committees on Empowerment of Women’, inaugurated by Birla, drew MPs and MLAs from across India to the temple town.
Ayyannapatrudu, addressing Birla, said: “Speaker sir… please give some instruction to all Assemblies in the country (that) the House should run at least 60 days a year… Why can’t we run? Some Assemblies are running for just 35 days, 45 days. This is not correct. Please take necessary action and give directions to all Assemblies”.
He later told The Indian Express: “Why must they take their salary if they don’t come to the Assembly? If you are an employee and you don’t go for your duty, your salary is cut; so why not MLAs?”
He added, in a thinly veiled swipe at the Opposition YSR Congress party in the state: “For 13 months, one party’s MLAs have not been coming (to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly).”
The YSRCP’S 11 MLAs have not been attending House proceedings, reportedly over their party chief being denied the Leader of the Opposition position. Recently, CM Chandrababu Naidu challenged the party’s legislators to debate issues in the House, following which Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy said he would enter the Assembly only after he became the CM.
On the sidelines of the event, Birla told reporters the issue of Assemblies’ functioning days had also come up at the recently-concluded speakers’ conference.
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“That state legislatures should function for at least 30 days — we even passed a resolution to this effect… some Vidhan Sabhas function for even less than 30 days… it is a matter of concern,” the Lok Sabha Speaker said. “If a Vidhan Sabha functions only for 15 days in some cases, how will (legislative) work be accomplished… the same applies to the Parliament as well.”
Following the conclusion of the Monsoon Session, which saw disruptions in both Houses owing to the special intensive revision of rolls in Bihar, Birla had noted that 419 starred questions were included in the agenda, but only 55 could be taken up for oral answers.
Instead of the initially planned 120 hours of discussion, the Speaker had said the House barely worked for 37 hours. Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, meanwhile, had said the Upper House functioned for only 41 hours and 15 minutes.
Asked about the disruption of Parliament this session, the Speaker said expulsion of MPs was “the last resort”, seeking to underline the need for political parties to inculcate more discipline among their members.
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“We try our best (to settle things in the House); expulsion is always the last resort. It is required on the part of political parties to inculcate discipline in their members. The House simply must function,” he said.
During his address, Birla said the conference sends a powerful message that women’s empowerment and child welfare are not peripheral issues but the very foundation of national progress.
The conference was attended by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Empowerment of Women D Purandeswari, and representatives from more than 20 states.
With its focus on women’s leadership from Panchayats to Parliament, on inclusive laws and policies, and on economic independence for every woman, the conference marks a decisive step in realising the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, he said.
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“Women’s empowerment is not a one-time initiative but a continuous process requiring comprehensive policies that address the needs of women at every stage of life…The strength, leadership, and participation of women across every sphere of national life are not only matters of equity but also the bedrock of inclusive and sustainable growth,” he said.
“India has had women Presidents, Prime Ministers, Chief Ministers, Governors, Speakers, and legislators, which is a matter of great pride and a reflection of the nation’s commitment to women’s leadership,” he added.
He said that Committees on Empowerment of Women at both national and State levels function in a non-partisan manner and play a critical role in closely scrutinizing laws, policies, and schemes to ensure inclusivity and effectiveness.
Their recommendations, he said, must ensure that even the last woman and the last child in the remotest corners of the country have access to health, education, technology, and opportunities for growth even as he referred to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi vision in this regard, adding that ensuring every woman’s economic independence is central to achieving Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat.
