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The 13th All India Whips Conference will be held at Hyderabad from 4th February 2005, after a gap of 7 years. This three day conference arranged by Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs will be inaugurated by the Vice President of India, Sh. Bhairon Singh Shekhawat in the presence of Defence Minister, Shri Pranab Mukherjee and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Sh. Ghulam Nabi Azad. The conference will be attended by ministers of Parliamentary Affairs/Department in the states and chief whips/whips of parties in the House of Parliament and in the Legislative Assemblies and council of states.
Shri Somnath Chatterjee, Speaker of Lok Sabha will give the valedictory address on 5th February which would be attended by the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, H.E. Shri Sushil Kumar Shindhe, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Dr. Y.S. Rajashekhara Reddy and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad and Shri Suresh Pachouri, MoS, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension and Parliamentary Affairs.
The All India Whips Conference has been designed to provide a forum where the whips of the legislature, at the center as well as the state could periodically meet for mutual exchange of views and for generating suggestions for strengthening parliamentary institution. The first such conference of whips was held at Indore in September, 1952. The 12th All India Conference of Whips was held in August at Srinagar. After the deliberation, recommendations to improve the functioning of parliamentary system are adopted unanimously and are pursued by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs for implementation at the centre as well as in the state.
The efficient and smooth working of the Parliamentary system depends to a considerable extent upon the office of the ‘Whip’. The Whips are the managers of the parties within the legislatures. Certain duties are common to the Whips of all the parties, but, by and large, the Government Chief Whip has some very important duties concerning the mapping, monitoring and management of Government business in the House. Another important function of the Government Chief Whip is to constantly feel the pulse of the House and to apprise the leader of the Government of the same. The Government Chief Whip also keeps in close touch with the Whips of the other parties on matters such as the business in the House as also on many other matters concerning the House as a whole.
There are duties, which are common to the Whips of all parties. They supply their members with all important information concerning the day-to-day business before the House, ensure their attendance, especially for important discussions and during voting. They also inter-act with the Presiding Officers and the Secretariat of the House on behalf of their parties and members to ensure efficient coordination vis-à-vis the often complex requirements of parliamentary procedure and conventions.
HRK/Aa
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