Gaya, July 11 (IANS) Emphasising that there can be no ‘Viksit Bharat’ without a ‘Viksit Bihar’, Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan on Saturday inaugurated a two-day Orientation-cum-Training Programme for the members of the 18th Bihar Legislative Assembly.

Speaking at the inauguration event at the Bihar Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (BIPARD) in Gaya, the Vice President said that differences of opinion are natural in a democracy, but commitment to the Constitution and public welfare must remain paramount.

“Ideas may differ on the floor of the Assembly, but the Constitution must remain our common compass,” he said, adding that healthy debate strengthens democracy while constructive cooperation advances the nation.

Stressing the importance of Question Hour, Zero Hour, and the Business Advisory Committee, he urged members to ensure the smooth and productive conduct of legislative business, noting that these parliamentary devices provide individual legislators with an important opportunity to raise issues concerning their constituents beyond party considerations.

Bihar Governor Lt Gen (Retd.) Syed Ata Hasnain; Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary; Assembly Speaker Prem Kumar; Chairman of the Bihar Legislative Council, Awadhesh Narain Singh; and other dignitaries were present during the occasion, said an official statement.

Appreciating the initiative of the Presiding Officers of the Bihar Legislative Assembly and the Bihar Legislative Council, along with the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE) and the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the Vice President said such programmes strengthen democratic institutions by equipping legislators to discharge their constitutional responsibilities effectively.

Thanking the Speaker for organising the programme in Gaya, he remarked that the initiative had symbolically “brought Patna to Gaya”.

Referring to the ancient republican traditions of Vaishali, the Vice President observed that democracy has deep roots in Bharat, which is rightly regarded as the “Mother of Democracy”.

He described Bihar as the “Margdarshak” of Bharat’s democratic journey and urged legislators to uphold its glorious legacy.

Drawing inspiration from the land of the Lord Buddha, he said that true enlightenment lies in realising that public representatives are elected not to rule but to serve.

Reiterating that there can be no Viksit Bharat without a Viksit Bihar, he called upon the legislators to work towards creating opportunities that would make Bihar a destination for employment and development and attract migrant workers from other states.

–IANS

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