The two-day 18th All India Whips’ Conference, 2018 concluded in Udaipur

The two-day 18th All India Whips’ Conference, 2018 concluded in Udaipur, Rajasthan today. The Conference was jointly inaugurated on 8th January, 2018 by Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Chemicals & Fertilizers, Shri Ananthkumar and Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Smt. Vasundhara Raje, who was also the Chief Guest in the Inaugural Function. Shri Kailash Chandra Meghwal, Speaker, Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, presided over the valedictory and concluding session today. Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation; Shri Vijay Goel, Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Statistics & Programme Implementation, Shri Gulab Chand Kataria, Home Minister and Shri Rajendra Singh Rathore, Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Government of Rajasthan were also present. Around 90 delegates including Ministers, Chief Whips and Whips in Parliament and State Legislatures participated in the conference.

The First Technical Session, ‘Action Taken Report (ATR) received from the States /UTs on the recommendations of the 16th and 17th All India Whips’ Conferences held at Goa and Visakhapatnam respectively’, was presided over and moderated by Shri Vijay Goel. The Second Technical Session, ‘Efficient Functioning of Legislatures’, was presided over by Shri Ananthkumar in the presence of Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal and Shri Vijay Goel and Home Minister of Rajasthan, Shri Gulab Chand Kataria. The Third Technical Session, ‘Rolling out e-Sansad/e-Vidhan in Parliament and State Legislatures to digitize and make their functioning paperless’, was presided over by Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal. While deliberating the usefulness and its limitations, the delegates wished all the success to e-Sansad/e-Vidhan MMP Project in the country. Delegates also shared their experiences and concern regarding various aspects of implementing the recommendations.

In the concluding session, Ten Recommendations were discussed and adopted unanimously by the conference. The recommendations are regarding the Reform of Zero Hour for prompt reply and ATR from concerned Ministry; developing the concept of Committee Hour for discussing reports of various Committees by the Legislatures; Reforms in the structure of Private Members Business; Legislative framework for more working days in both Union and State Legislatures; Infrastructural and Institutional support to Chief Whips for better coordination and functioning of Legislatures and Parliament; Digitization of the Secretariats of the State Legislatures; Consensus building in the Legislatures for not going to the well of the House by the Members etc. Follow up action on the Recommendations made by the Conference will be taken by Union Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

In his inaugural address, Shri Ananthkumar had opined that Whips play three Dimensional Role – Monitoring, Moderating and Motivating. He urged his fellow legislators to ‘Discuss’, ‘Debate’ and ‘Decide’ but not to ‘Disturb’. He observed that the basic purpose of the Conference is to discuss various aspects of parliamentary democracy which is the best form of Government among the available alternatives and to come out with some concrete resolutions so that the people of the country can be served in a better way. Smt. Vasundhara Raje had stated that a legislative body should work like a family where despite of strong debate there must be mutual respect among the fellow Members.