Chandigarh, April 30 – The Haryana Vidhan Sabha on Thursday organized a training workshop for MLAs at Haryana Niwas, Sector 3. The workshop, held under the guidance of Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker Sh. Harvinder Kalyan, provided in-depth training to legislators on the subject “Parliamentary Committees – Role of Members” through expert sessions.
Addressing the legislators at the inaugural session, Vidhan Sabha Speaker Harvinder Kalyan said that strengthening democratic institutions is essential to achieve Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’. He said that public representatives should place public welfare above all else and present their views with a deep understanding of rules, procedures, and legislative work.
The Speaker said that due to limited time in the House, it is not possible to discuss every issue in detail and therefore committees serve as the most effective mechanism to ensure administrative accountability. He said that discussions in committees often rise above party politics and focus on public interest issues. Legislators can ask precise questions to officials and use their expertise to highlight shortcomings in reports.
He said that learning for legislators should not remain limited to workshops alone, but should continue throughout their tenure. Referring to the large number of young MLAs in the present Assembly, he said that if they incorporate technical knowledge and rules into their speeches, they can help the government make better decisions more effectively.
He urged every public representative to always remain a “student,” stating that the spirit of learning is what transforms a legislator into a successful future minister and mass leader.
Citing the motto of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly (Vidhana Soudha), “Government’s work is God’s work,” the Speaker said that Haryana’s 90 legislators shoulder the responsibility of managing a large population and budget. Along with individual efforts, strengthening democratic institutions is the only path toward public welfare.
He also referred to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s initiative to create a “common digital platform” for all legislative assemblies so that “best practices” can be shared among states.
On the occasion, the Speaker also released a special “guidance booklet” for legislators containing key principles for legislative decision-making and dealing with challenges. He added that there are plans to prepare a more detailed handbook in the future.
Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kalyan thanked Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sh. Mahipal Dhanda for their cooperation and said that success should not be measured by achieving 100 percent results overnight, but by continuously improving one’s capabilities. He said that if a public representative improves his efficiency, it would be a major contribution to the state’s development.
On this occasion, Haryana Vidhan Sabha Deputy Speaker Dr. Krishan Lal Middha thanked the subject experts and legislators and said that the programme was not merely a formal event, but an effort to inspire public representatives to better understand and effectively discharge their responsibilities.
Former Rajya Sabha Member Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe delivered a lecture on the topic “Parliamentary Committees and Their Role in Ensuring Executive Accountability.” He said that India has a rich tradition of parliamentary committees that has evolved over time, and Haryana’s legislature also follows a similar tradition. He emphasized that the development of institutions in a democracy is a continuous process.
He said that a budget is not merely a document but an assessment of the government’s expenditure for the entire year. Parliamentary committees now examine budget proposals in detail, identify shortcomings, and question why previously allocated funds remained unspent.
He added that parliamentary committees function as “mini parliaments,” ensuring government accountability and strengthening the democratic process.
During the workshop, Haryana Institute of Public Administration (HIPA) Director General Manoj Yadav, Lok Sabha Joint Secretary Dheeraj Kumar, Lok Sabha Secretariat Director Bharti Sanjeev Tuteja, and PRIDE Director Rajkumar also addressed the gathering.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sh. Mahipal Dhanda, Panchayats and Development Minister Krishan Lal Panwar, Women and Child Development Minister Shruti Choudhry, a large number of MLAs, Vidhan Sabha Secretary Rajeev Prasad, and Advisor to the Speaker Ram Narayan Yadav, along with several officials, were present on the occasion.
