Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday expressed his concern over the inability of Parliament to function smoothly and said it was the responsibility of all political parties to run the House effectively.
Dr Singh was addressing an audience, comprising Union ministers and MPs, after delivering the first “K. Karunakaran Award for best administrator in India” to finance minister Pranab Mukherjee.
“It is the job of not only the ruling party but all political parties to cooperate constructively in running the House. We should work together to make Parliament live up to the role and ideals that our founding fathers envisioned for it,” Dr Singh said referring to continuous disruptions of Parliament’s Winter Session. He said the government had been putting in its “best efforts” to make Parliament function smoothly. Dr Singh, while commemorating veteran Congressman and four-time chief minister of Kerala, late Karunakaran, also said that the nation needed men of Karunakaran’s stature, vision and wisdom for guiding it in times of serious challenges.
“Karunakaran exemplified the ideal traits that go into making a great political leader. He had the right mixture of political and administrative acumen, love for his people and the vision of a great patriot and a great nation builder,” Dr Singh said, adding that he had “benefited enormously” by his long personal relationship with Karunakaran who provided him with “sage counsel from time to time”.
The Prime Minister also showered praises on Mr Mukherjee for serving the UPA as an effective “troubleshooter” under the “inspiring leadership” of its chairperson Sonia Gandhi. “In running the government, Pranabji has been my most valued colleague. We have consulted closely on all important decisions of our government,” he said.
Mr Mukherjee, in his acceptance speech, joined the Prime Minister on the matter of House disruptions. “Parliament is very difficult to run nowadays,” he observed.