Uttar Pradesh Assembly to have new set of rules from 2023

LUCKNOW: In the New Year, the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly will have a new set of rules, making sweeping changes in the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, 1958.

Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana said that new rules are the need of the hour to run the Vidhan Sabha.

He has formed a 10-member drafting committee to lay out a new draft of rules and procedures.

"It would be better to bring in a new rule book instead of making amendments to the existing one as it would be a tedious process," he said.

The drafting committee, headed by principal secretary, Vidhan Sabha, Pradeep Dubey, includes retired officer from the law department, SN Srivastava, and retired special secretary, finance department, Shankeshwar Tripathi, as members.

The committee is likely to submit the draft for new rules to the Speaker in January. The Speaker will then put it before the 13-member Rules Committee of the UP Vidhan Sabha.

The Rules Committee is chaired by the Speaker himself and has MLAs from various political parties.

"Once approved by the Rules Committee, the draft would be tabled before the House for approval," the principal secretary said.

The need for replacing the 64-year-old Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the UP Legislative Assembly was felt after new technology was introduced in the Vidhan Sabha.

"It became more important after e-vidhan was introduced in the legislature," the principal secretary said.

One of the major changes in the rules would be reducing the notice period to convene the house from 14 days to seven days.

The language of the rules would also be simplified as it has been felt that legislators, especially the first-timers, find it difficult to understand the rules. Similarly, several other rules and procedures would not only be simplified but also clarified.

A proposal is also likely to be made to allow members of the House to list questions 15 days after the Speaker adjourns the House instead of the present procedure to list questions after the Cabinet adjourns the House sine die.

The new rule book is likely to come into force for the 2023 budget session.