MLAs are representatives elected by the voters of an electoral district to the legislature of a state in the Indian governance system. A legislative assembly consists of not more than 500 members and not less than 60.
The most important function of the legislature is lawmaking. As defined by the Constitution of India Seventh Schedule (Article 246), MLAs have powers to frame laws on all items in List II (state list) and List III (concurrent list).
The next important role of the assembly and the MLAs is fiscal responsibility.
MLA’s are expected to oversee and monitor all the programmes and schemes that the executive implements. This does not mean that they merely sit on committees approving beneficiary lists and houses and determining how local area development funds are spent.
One must understand that MLAs are paid quite well for the services that they are expected to do.
Apart from the salary and other related perks, our MLAs also enjoy immunity. Like members of Parliament, members of the Legislature also enjoy the freedom of speech on the floor of the House.
The recently concluded three-day winter session of the Assam Assembly demonstrated a dismal picture of the role and responsibilities of people’s representatives. This is despite the fact that a session of the House involves a huge amount of expenditure besides the involvement of a large number of people including the security and other staff of the Assembly as a whole.
As the State has many burning issues, and the Assembly sessions are meant for the legislators to throw light on such issues facing the masses and to make the government initiate measures for their solution.
It is in this very basic concept that the year’s last Assembly session failed to represent public issues. Assam Assembly Winter Session witnessed the very low rate of just 143 questions that were put up by the MLAs as against the quota of 210. As a result, the scope of putting up 67 questions remained to be utilized.
Assembly rules mandate that 70 questions can be raised by the legislators on the floor of the House during a session. Of these, 20 are in the oral mode (technically termed as starred) while the remaining 50 are in written (Unstarred) format.
On the first day of the session held on December 28, only 18 starred and 20 unstarred questions were raised thereby leaving vacant 32 slots.
On December 29, a total of four slots remained vacant as though the quota of 20 starred questions were filled yet only 46 unstarred questions were raised.
Meanwhile, on the last day of the session, which is held on December 30, the starred quota was filled; but only 19 unstarred questions were raised, 21 slots remained unfilled.