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Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief, Naveen Patnaik today organised a workshop for the MLAs elected first time on party ticket here, imitating a similar exercise done by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi a week earlier.
The day-long training camp was inaugurated by Patnaik at Pantha Nivas. Many senior leaders also joined the workshop to impart training to the 42 first time lawmakers on how to behave in the assembly, participate in the law-making process, prepare questions and raise issues.
"The workshop focused on their conduct in the house which would help them in becoming good policy makers," said parliamentary affairs minister, Bikram Arukh after the meeting.
Patnaik, who has been elected to the state assembly for fourth time in a row, asked the new MLAs to rise above partisan politics and advised them to take everybody along in their agenda for development.
"The elections are now over. We must focus on developmental issues rising above party considerations. We must ensure to take everyone with us in developing our constituencies as mandated by people of Odisha," he said in his inaugural address.
Apart from good conduct and maintaining decorum in the house, the first timers were asked to become experts in one particular subject and not to raise issues which could embarrass the party, sources said.
The MLAs welcomed such a move by the party leadership and said, it would be helpful for them while participating in various discussions in the Assembly.
"It is indeed a great initiative to educate the first timers about the Assembly proceedings. It teaches us how to behave on the floor of the house and which issues to raise," said Byomakesh Ray, a first-time MLA from Chandabali.
In the day-long workshop, the MLAs were asked to make comprehensive plans for development of their respective constituencies out of their MLA lad fund and make their presence felt in the social media platforms.
Interestingly, all the instructions issued by the BJD leadership matches with the diktat of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to its first time MPs at a two-day long training workshop on June 28-29.
Earlier, BJD had issued a 12-point guideline for MLAs and MPs, advising them not to engage their relatives as representatives in their constituencies. They were also asked not to promote their family members as heads of local body and panchayati raj institutions by giving them party ticket in elections. Similar guidelines have been issued by Modi to BJP MPs. However BJD leaders said, it was not an attempt by the regional outfit to mimic the national party style of governance.
"There is no need to imitate what others are doing as BJD government is committed towards bringing in transparency at every level of governance. And since governance is an evolving process, new ideas keep coming in and gets implemented," said Kalikesh Narayan Singhdeo, a BJD MP from Bolangir.
