Gogoi hails union cabinet nod for Assam upper house

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi Friday welcomed the union cabinet's decision to clear the decks for the creation of a legislative council or upper house of the state legislature.

"The coming up of the upper house has fulfilled a long felt demand of the people of the state. Our government has been all along pressing the centre for an upper house in Assam and the clearance of the cabinet paving its way has fulfilled a long standing demand of the people of the state," he said.

Thanking UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and union Law and Justice Minister Kapil Sibal, Gogoi hoped that the upper house would provide adequate representation to the various communities and groups and strengthen the composite character of the state as well as create goodwill for both the central and state governments.

He also requested Sibal to introduce the necessary bill in the winter session of parliament.

The upper house, proposed in accordance with Article 169 of the Constitution, will have 42 members or one-third strength of the 126-member state legislative assembly. The cost of setting up the council will be borne by the state.

The Assam government had moved a resolution in the assembly in 2011 to create a legislative council in the state. Legislators cutting across party lines had supported the resolution which was passed by two-thirds majority.