New Delhi, Nov 21 (IANS) The 80th All India Presiding Officers’ Conference (AIPOC) will be held in Gujarat next week. The event is being organised since 1921 to share new ideas, views and experiences with all the presiding officers in the country.
The two-day event will be organised on November 25 and 26 in Kevadia, home to the ‘Statue of Unity’, the world’s tallest statue, of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 31, 2018.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla shared the information in a press briefing here, saying the event will discuss the reports of the three committees of last year’s conference. In 2019, this conference was held in Dehradun under the leadership of Birla. Issues related to the strengthening of Parliamentary democracy through Zero Hour and other parliamentary devices, capacity building, 10th Schedule of the Constitution and the role of the presiding officers were discussed during the conference.
President Ram Nath Kovind will inaugurate the conference on November 25 while Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the valedictory session of the conference on November 26. Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and other dignitaries will attend the conference.
This year marks the beginning of the centenary year of AIPOC; thus, the period from September 14-15 this year to September 14-15, 2021 is being celebrated as its centenary year.
Birla said that the collective wisdom of the legislators has helped the legislatures keep pace with the changing times. “Many of the significant innovations in Parliamentary democracy trace their roots to the deliberations that took place during the sessions of these conferences,” he said.
Birla also said that November 26 is celebrated every year as Constitution Day across the country, as this day marks the adoption of the Constitution of India in 1949. He added that this year, the nation is celebrating 71 years of the adoption of the Constitution. Befittingly, this conference dedicated to safeguarding constitutional values is also being organised during this period.
The theme for this year’s conference is “Harmonious Coordination Between Legislature, Executive and Judiciary – Key to a Vibrant Democracy.”
Birla said that during the conference, the presiding officers of the legislatures shall discuss the need for better cooperation and coordination between the three pillars of democracy.
–IANS
rak/arm