Panaji: The Legislative Assembly or a Parliament makes the Law, passes the Budget and is a place where legislators can raise issues of public importance, said Speaker Rajesh Patnekar at the inauguration of the Student's Parliament Competition 2020 at the Secretariat on Monday.
Patnekar added further that the objectives of organising Students' Parliament is to create a wide knowledge on basic concepts of democracy and their practice; providing practical opportunities to reach common objectives of national education on Parliamentary practices and procedures and common skills.
He said that such competition helps involve students directly to the task of nation-building and development and developing leadership skills. Patnekar added that by organising such competitions, students gain preparations to be good legislators in future, since the legislators play a vital role and act as a key link between the people and the government.
Patnekar reminded the students that legislators have four aspects of representation to be kept in mind. Firstly, they represent the constituencies which elect them. Secondly, they represent the political parties on whose symbols and manifestos they contest the elections. Thirdly, they represent the nation in a very broad sense and finally they represent and project themselves as progressive individuals. Therefore, the legislators' concern must reflect these four aspects to become eminent parliamentarians, Patnekar said.
Present on the occasion were Goa Legislature Secretariat, Secretary, Namrata Ulman, Goa Legislator's Forum, secretary and former MLA Mohan Amshekar, former MP John Fernandes, former MLAs Victor Gonsalves and Sadanand Malik, among others.