Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Legislative Assembly held 103 sitting days during the first two years of the 17th Assembly, conducting business for nearly 470 hours, Assembly Secretary Satyabrata Rout said. He said the number of sitting days was the highest among state legislatures in India.
Rout made the remarks while presenting a paper on “Best Practices of the Odisha Legislative Assembly” at the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference held in Cape Town, South Africa.
He said the Odisha Assembly has achieved digital trans formation by undertaking several reforms and adopting technology-driven measures.
Orientation programs are being organised for newly elected and first-time legislators to familiarise them with legislative procedures and the functioning of democratic institutions.
The Assembly has also introduced study visits for school and college students to help them understand democratic institutions and parliamentary practices, he said.
Giving details of the functioning of various Assembly committees, Rout said there are 35 committees, including 10 department-related committees.
These committees examine the priorities of different departments, budget estimates, formulation of schemes and proper utilisation of resources, and make recommendations for the state budget.
Rout said the initiatives have strengthened the functioning of the Assembly and promoted greater awareness of legislative processes among members and students.
He said Odisha has never claimed that its experience is complete. Instead, it has always remained open to learning from rich traditions and new innovations in the spirit of mutual exchange.
Odisha, which became a separate state in 1936, had a 60-member Legislative Assembly when its first Assembly was constituted in 1937.
The strength has since increased to 147 members. The journey from the pre-Independence era to the modern digital legislature reflects a continuing evolution of democratic traditions and contemporary reforms, the secretary said.
The event, held in Cape Town, was attended by 180 secretaries from 56 countries. Odisha Legislative Assembly Secretary Raut was selected to present a paper at the conference.
Secretaries from countries including Canada, Bangladesh and Australia appreciated his presentation.
The event was also attended by secretaries of 21 state legislatures, including those of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.