Odisha Cabinet gives approval for Legislative Council in state

The Odisha government today approved a proposal for setting up a Legislative Council in the state.

A proposal in this regard was approved at the Cabinet meeting here presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Parliamentary Affairs Minister B K Aarukha told reporters.

A resolution will be brought in the monsoon session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly beginning from September 4 for formation of Odisha Legislative Council, he said.

The proposed Legislative Council will have 49 members, the minister said adding that the state will have to spend Rs 35 crore annually for creation of the Vidhan Parishad. The members of the proposed council will get salary and allowance as given to the members of the legislative assembly.

As per article 171 clause (1) of the Indian Constitution, the total number of members in the Legislative Council of a state shall not exceed one third of the total number of the members in the Legislative Assembly of that state and the total number of members in the Legislative Council of a state shall in no case be less than 40.

As the total number of members in Odisha Assembly is 147, the total number of members in the Legislative Council will be 49, he said.

Earlier, the state government had set up a committee in 2015 to study the Legislative Councils in other states and recommend for one in Odisha.

The committee led by Transport Minister Nrushingha Charan Sahu had submitted its report to the Chief Minister recommending formation of the Legislative Council in Odisha on August 3 after visiting Bihar and Telangana to study the functioning of the Legislative Councils in those states, Aarukha said.

Earlier, the committee had also visited Maharashtra and Karnataka for the purpose.

The committee has three members from the ruling BJD