LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

 For the sake of elections, States are divided into smaller area know as constituencies. Registered voters of the region elect one representatives from each constituency to the Legislative Assembly. They then become

Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs). These MLAs belong to different political parties (an organised group of people with a common objective). The number of seats in Legislative Assembly depends on the population of a state. The Constitution defines that it should not be more than 500 or less than 60. In addition, if the Anglo-Indian community is inadequately represented , the Governor can nominate a member. 

Functionaries Of A State -

The Governor is the nominal head of a state and is appointed by the president for a period of five years. The term can be extended or the Governor can be removed any time, by the president. A Governor is to the state as President is to the nation. All bills passed by state Legislature have to be approved and signed by the Governor.

The chief Minister is the real head of the state. She or he advises the Governor on the council of ministers to be selected and their number. The Chief Minister assigns portfolios to the ministers and appoints a Deputy Chief Minister , if required .

The council of ministers, including the Chief Minister, cannot be more than 15 per cent of the numbers of members of Legislative Assembly . The Council is divided into three categories - Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of state and Deputy Ministers. A Cabinet Minister can hold one or more portfolios and is assisted by the minister of state and / or Deputy Minister.

The MLAs Meet In The Vidhan Sabha -

Several meetings of the Vidhan Sabha take place over the next five years. At every sitting, several matters concerning the state are discussed, debated and many decisions are taken which include- how much sales tax should be paid on various items; whether it should be more on matchboxes or on oil; whether a concession should be given for fertilisers or not; how panchayats should be formed and other such topics.

In these meetings, the MLAs often put questions to the government and the concerned minister replies. Somebody would ask, " Prices are rising sharply. What are you doing about this?" To which the Finance Minister would have to give a reply. If it were asked, "In how many primary schools of the state is there a shortage of teachers? What are you doing about this?" Then the Education Minister would reply. Some MLAs would be satisfied by the answers while others may not be.

The Speaker coordinates these discussions. The speaker's job is to ensure that everybody gets time to present their opinion and the MLAs listen to each other peacefully. It is up to the Speaker to decide which issue could be discussed and in what order.

How A Law Is Implemented - 

The law is published in a book called The Gazette and is sent to government officials (like the collector). Then on, it is the Collector's responsibility to ensure the implementation of the law.

Function of The Government -

In the Assembly, the MLAs make, amend and ratify law's. A bill, proposal for a new law or to amend an existing one, can be introduced in any house. Members then debate on it, make changes and finally vote on it. When both houses approve it, the bill is sent for the Governor's assent. Once he signs, it becomes a law.

This Clearly indicates that the Chief Minister and his ministers not only make laws, but are also accountable to the people. They implement laws relating to agriculture, public works, law and order and revenue through various departments. For example, to deal with water crisis the government can direct the municipalities to install bore wells in the area or channelise water from the nearest source to that area by laying pipelines or by cleaning and disinfecting wells in the surrounding areas. This also highlights that besides being answerable to the opposition party in the Assembly, the government is also answerable to the media who question the actions of the government on Neha of the people to which the government responds by holding press conferences.

In democracy, people elect their representatives and send them to the Assembly. If people are unhappy with the working of the government, they can voice their displeasure and can demand a change in the laws.