Bill passed to disqualify corporator for not obeying whip

Odisha Assembly today passed the Odisha Municipal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018 which will have provision to disqualify membership of a corporator or a councillor if he or does not go by party whips during a no-confidence vote.

The Bill moved by Housing and Urban Development Minister Niranjan Pujari, was passed in the Assembly when the opposition Congress and BJP members were not present in the House.

The opposition members had earlier staged a walkout seeking a ruling from Speaker Pradip Amat to ask Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to give a clarification on reason of delay in appointment of Lokayukta in the state.

The House was adjourned twice during the post lunch session over the matter.

While moving the Bill, minister Pujari said the new clause Odisha Municipal Act, 1950 and the Odisha Municipal Corporation Act, 2003 provide the disqualification of a councillor and a corporator respectively for disobeying the instruction issued by the political party to which s/he belongs.

He said it is essential for a party to know whether the elected Representative who has won the election with their party symbol is adhering to their ideology and obeying the instruction in letter and spirit.