The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that mitigating people’s grief is the primary duty of the legislators. Interacting with newly elected Members of Legislative Assembly of the Meghalaya, in here today, the Vice President gave them an overview of the structure and functioning of Rajya Sabha in the overall framework of India’s parliamentary democracy and informed them some of the new initiatives taken in the Rajya Sabha.The Vice President has also asked them to use forums like state assemblies to highlight the issues concerning the common man and make their lives better. Work hard and use the assembly to raise people’s concerns, he added.The Vice President asked the Legislators to keep the aspirations of people in mind and live up to their expectations during their tenure as Public representatives.These MLAs have come to the National Capital to attend the workshop organised by the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training of Lok Sabha Secretariat.
The Vice President explained the role of Parliament, especially the upper house and made the newly elected MLAs aware of the crucial parliamentary functions. He also informed them about the role of important parliamentary committees such as Standing Committees, Select Committees and the work done by members during non session days.The Vice President asked legislators to be prepared before attending a session and asked them to make good use of the time allotted to them. He has advised them not to disrupt the house with shouting and sloganeering. Assemblies and Parliament are platforms for discussion and debate but not for disruptions, he added.Informing the members about Rajya Sabha’s recent initiative to allow its members to speak in their mother tongue, the Vice President has asked members of legislatures to speak in the House in their respective mother tongues and said that they would be able to express their feelings, better and people concern would understand it.