Best Legislator Award soon: AP Speaker

Hyderabad, Feb 11 (UNI) An award will be instituted shortly to reward members of the Andhra Pradesh Legislature Assembly and Council who contributed to a healthy discussion in the Legislature, Assembly Speaker K R Suresh Reddy said today.

To be instituted on the lines of the Best Parliamentarian Award, the honour was to ensure the spirit of democracy flowed through discussions in both the Houses, he said while participating in the Meet-the-press Programme organised by the Press Club here. The State Legislature entered into a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United Nations to ensure achievement of Millennium Development Goals at the grassroots level.

Admitting the standards of discussion had certainly fallen, he opined every legislator should introspect whether they were living up to the expectations of the people who had elected them.

The right to recall a legislator might become a reality sooner or later, Mr Reddy said.

Observing the spirit of democracy was very much visible in the Legislature with ten registered parties in the House, he said there was always scope for improving the standards of debate.

''I enjoy every moment of being a Speaker. The conduct of the House is a very good challenge,'' he opined.

He claimed he was treated as a 'punching bag' by some legislators when they felt aggrieved by his decisions in the conduct of the House.

Mr Reddy said he would not allow any member to level personal allegation against others without notice, in the 13th session of the Assembly.

He urged the legislators to come forward to rise above partylines and take up more issues concerning the people.

To a question, he said over 90 per cent of the Bills were passed by the Legislature only after a thorough debate.

Only to facilitate a healthy debate, he was taking up Bills in the evening session.

There was no proposal before him to cut pay for legislators whenever listed business for the day could not be transacted because of pandemonium in the House.

UNI SM GM RJ RK1945