The 76th Conference of the Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies in India concluded on Thursday at Jaipur. Addressing the delegates at the conclusion of the discussion, the Loksabha Speaker Meera Kumar expressed satisfaction over the discussion on three items on the Agenda, ‘Determination of maximum period for Assent to Bills passed by the Legislature; the Role of the Legislature in Scrutinizing and Making Laws for Good Governance; and Era of Coalition Government – Its Compulsions and Challenges’ .She said that the delay in according assent to Bills passed by the Legislatures not only frustrates the objectives of the Bill but also thwarts the will of the peoples’ representatives and desired that necessary provisions be urgently incorporated in the Constitution to provide for a maximum period for according assent to Bills passed by the Legislatures.Referring to the discussion on the subject ‘The Role of the Legislature in scrutinizing and making Laws for Good Governance’, she said that majority of the speakers were of the view that the legislative procedure should be strengthened to ensure adequate and proper scrutiny of laws before their enactment in order to achieve the goal of good governance and the Constitution needs to be amended to provide for minimum number of sittings for Legislatures to ensure proper scrutiny of legislation by Legislatures. Referring to the discussion on the subject ‘Era of Coalition Government – Its Compulsions and Challenges’, Meera Kumar said that the common view which emerged during the discussion was that although Coalition Governments are not in the interest of the nation yet the nation cannot avoid Coalition Governments.However, the Coalition should be principle based rather than opportunity based and Coalitions should be formed by the political parties before the elections on the basis of their common programmes. It was unanimously decided to hold the next Conference in the Bihar Legislature, Patna next year.