Arunachal legislative assembly empowers women with four nominations to chairperson’s panel

The Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly is set to nominate four women legislators to its Chairperson's panel for the upcoming 12th session of the seventh legislative assembly, scheduled to commence on September 4.

Speaker of the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Pasang Dorjee Sona, unveiled this transformative initiative, aiming to foster gender equality and encourage greater participation of women in leadership roles within the legislative process.

Traditionally, the role of the chairperson has been held by the Speaker or Deputy Speaker in their absence. However, with this new step, women Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) will assume the responsibility of chairing the assembly, providing them a unique opportunity to preside over sessions.

Speaking to India Today NE, Speaker PD Sona elucidated the concept behind the panel of chairpersons, "Whenever we have a session, we always nominate four members from the pool of 60 legislators to serve as chairpersons. These individuals will lead the assembly in instances where the Speaker or Deputy Speaker is unable to preside. By empowering women, we have chosen to appoint our women MLAs to this role. This initiative not only advances women's empowerment but also sends a powerful message. Out of our 60-member legislative assembly, we have five women legislators, and four of them have been nominated as panel chairpersons."

Speaker Sona also expressed gratitude towards Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for his confidence, appointing Sona as an executive committee member of the CPA Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, India region. He shared his pride in being one of only six members chosen for this position, reflecting positively on both himself and Arunachal Pradesh.

Regarding the recently launched Vibrant Village Program (VVP), Speaker Sona commented on its potential impact, especially considering his representation of Mechukha town in the Shi Yomi district bordering China. He thanked and congratulated Prime Minister Modi for introducing the concept, which focuses on enhancing development in border towns. "For far too long, those of us residing in border areas have been overlooked in terms of development. With the Vibrant Village Program, we anticipate a boost in basic facilities and infrastructure in our border towns, aligning them with the rest of the nation."

Touching upon the issue of 4G connectivity in the Shi Yomi district bordering China, Speaker Sona acknowledged that while Airtel's 4G connectivity is available, technical glitches continue to hinder seamless network access. He noted that he has contacted Airtel's regulatory head to address these issues and improve internet connectivity in the border regions.

Turning to matters of infrastructure, Speaker Sona expressed concern over the poor condition of the BRO road between Tato (headquarter) and Mechukha town due to the contractors' lackluster performance. He shared discussions with the BRO Chief and Commandant to address this issue, emphasizing the need for quality roads to boost tourism and local development.

In light of a recent disturbing incident of sexual molestation of school children by a hostel warden in the Shi Yomi district, Speaker Sona, also the local MLA of the district, condemned the heinous crime. He emphasized the gravity of the situation and expressed hope that justice would prevail for the innocent victims.

Shifting focus to the G20 Presidency, Speaker Sona hailed it as a moment of national pride. He commended India's vibrant celebrations and engagements during its G20 presidency, asserting that Arunachal Pradesh's enthusiastic participation has added to the significance of the occasion.

Speaker Sona addressed the issue of low attendance in the unique library within the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly. Despite housing an extensive collection of books, the library has experienced limited patronage. Speaker Sona summarized the situation, stating, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. I urge all to make use of this valuable facility, which comes at no cost."