Bihar MLAs to be armed with health data to raise issues

Bihar legislators will be given latest health indicators of their constituency in the budget session starting from Thursday in order to help them raise issues prominently in the House.
State Legislative Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary said today at a meeting of Press Advisory committee of the House about introduction of this service on mobile to legislators by a non-governmental organisation.
The NGO 'Centre for Catalyzing Change' would make available data on institutional delivery, pace of immunisation programme and other health indicators in all 243 Assembly constituencies in Bihar to the legislators, he said.
The Speaker said that the MLAs could download these data from Apps developed by the NGO.

In addition to health data of a particular constituency, the MLAs would also be provided comparative statistics of other constituencies on a particular index, its Executive Director Aparajita Gogoi and state Programme Coordinator Sandeep Kumar Ojha said.
The budget session of the Bihar Legislative Assembly startying from February 23 would end on March 31 with a break during Holi festival. A total of 23 sittings would take place during the budget session.

Chaudhary expressed concern over prominence given to disruption in House in media and exhorted them to encourage legislators who came well prepared on a subject during debate on any topic.

"Along with news of disruption of the House, I request media to also highlight the business listed for the day which could not be taken due to the pandemonium," the Speaker said adding even if disruption was done by treasury bench the same yardstick should be adopted.
The Press Advisory Committee mulled forming a committee of presspersons to chose one, two or three legislators performing best in the House on a day.
"Coverage of news of disruption and pandemonium on the front page tempts legislators to indulge in such unsavoury act ...When those who come prepared on a subject and speak well in the House comes in newspaper it will encourage MLAs to follow that instead of indulging in slogan shouting and creating ruckus in the House," the Speaker said.

He regretted low attendance of legislators as well mediapersons particularly during post-lunch sessions when serious business like discussion on a department and passing of budget took place.