Goa, Maha, Guj need to work towards aspirational villages, have healthy competition over devpt: Birla

Panaji: Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla said on Thursday that the western zone states of Goa, Maharashtra, and Gujarat — which are together the highest contributors to India’s GDP — now need to compete with one another on development to reach the weakest person in the state.

Birla was in Goa for the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) India region zone VII conference.

He said that just like the PM has begun work on aspirational districts, these states should identify villages that are most in need in their respective states and begin work on aspirational villages in these rural areas. “We should work competitively, we should take the village most in need and make it our goal to develop it,” said Birla.

Goa, Maharashtra, and Gujarat have a good blend of heritage, modernity, and spirituality to offer, the speaker said. Through their coast, they became the gateway to India for the world, modernising ports and expanding trade for the country over the years, but there is need for efforts to ensure the work of development and welfare reaches the last mile, he added.

He said legislators need to compete in development, adding that he worked on the same principle and on becoming the speaker by addressing those very problems he faced during his term as a parliamentarian.

“Legislative institutions play a crucial role in building a developed India. People have high expectations and aspirations from their elected legislators. All states need to adopt best practices from one another for development in coastal regions. There should be healthy competition among legislatures of different states to be the best assembly,” he said.

In time, only a leader sensitive to the needs of others will prove a good leader, he said. “Today is the era of artificial intelligence and technology, but human sensitivity is equally important alongside them. Legislators who engage in the best discussions on policies and laws become prominent leaders in their states,” he said.

The two-day conference brings together senior parliamentary leaders from Western India for discussions on key governance and development priorities.

Goa speaker Ganesh Gaonkar said that it is a moment of great pride for Goa to host the conference for the first time, and that.for a legislature as compact as Goa’s, it is a solemn responsibility.

Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh Narayan said that the west coast is among the most climatically vulnerable and hence it is very important to make sustainability a part of the development plan.

Maharashtra speaker Rahul Narvekar said the western states should work towards climate resilience in its policies, while Maharashtra legislative council chairman Ram Shinde said that “along with smart cities we will have to work on sensitive cities where even the poorest person gets clean air and water”.