Outgoing President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam with Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh before a farewell function organised at Parliament House in New Delhi on Monday.
— Tribune photo by Mukesh Aggarwal
|
New Delhi, July 23
Calling upon the members of Parliament to adopt a resolution for Vision 2020, President APJ Abdul Kalam today said Parliament faced greater challenges at the dawn of 21st century, specially in matters related to human development and governance.
“At the dawn of 21st century, Parliament, like any other institution, faces greater challenges than ever before, especially on matters related to human development and governance,” he said in a thought-provoking address to MPs who bade him farewell in the Central Hall of Parliament.
Making a suggestion to MPs to formulate an energy independence bill and adopt a resolution for Vision 2020, Kalam said 21st century parliamentary vision for India needed to have a global and long-term perspective. He suggested that the resolution should say that India will be transformed into a safe, prosperous, happy and socio-economically developed nation before 2020 using National Prosperity Index as a measure.
Starting his speech with a “namaskar,” Kalam initially spoke in Hindi as the audience in the central hall heard him in rapt attention.
Kalam congratulated Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee for his initiatives for a museum and telecast of Lok Sabha proceedings. He described the outgoing Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat as a remarkable person with a wide convas of experience and wished his successor Pratibha Patil all the best in her mission.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Mnisters Aal Bihari Vjpayee and I K Gujral were among those present. Mr Chatterjee presented the President a scroll which was signed by MPs.
