Odisha assembly passes resolution for Vidhan Parishad

BHUBANESWAR: The state assembly on Thursday passed a resolution to set up the legislative council or Vidhan Parishad in Odisha even as members of Congress and BJP staged walkout opposing the resolution.
Total 104 members including chief minister Naveen Patnaik voted in support of the resolution. The state assembly has 147 legislators.
“Odisha has picked up growth momentum. To further accelerate growth wider consultations are necessary.In this context, the legislative council will be of great help,” Naveen told reporters after the resolution was passed.
The resolution will have to get a nod of Union cabinet following which it will be tabled in both houses of the Parliament. Thereafter, presidential assent is required to make it an act.
Parliamentary affairs Bikram Keshari Arukh introduced the resolution stating that it was a longstanding demand of the state.
There is a need to have a Vidhan Parishad in Odisha for extensive discussion and wider consultation on some crucial issues pertaining to the state. Also, bills which are passed in the state assembly can have elaborate discussions in the upper house,” Arukh said.
The move was opposed by Congress and BJP members citing the proposed legislative council will have an extra financial burden on the state exchequer.
The proposed Vidhan Parishad in Odisha will have 49 members (one-third size of the assembly); while it will have an additional financial burden of Rs 35 crore every year towards salary and establishment expenses of members.
The state government plans to function the legislative council from the old assembly building while the existing assembly secretariat will cater to its administrative needs.
While 16 members will be elected by the MLAs; the Zilla Parishad, panchayat samitis and urban local bodies would elect a similar number of members. Four each of the members will be elected from among electoral rolls to be prepared to comprise teachers and graduates respectively. Similarly, nine members will be nominated by the governors.
Like Rajya Sabha, there will be no reservation of seats based on caste, tribe or gender. While 30 years will be the minimum age limit to be elected to the Vidhan Parishad, the tenure of a member will be six years. The members would enjoy salary and perks at par with the MLAs.
At present, seven states--Karnataka, Maharashtra, Bihar, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Andhra Pradesh have bicameral houses.
Congress chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati came down heavily. “When the state government has a loan burden of Rs 76,000 crore, such a proposal is ridiculous. The Vidhan Parishad will be used as a rehabilitation centre for BJD leaders,” said Bahinipati.
Stating that it takes around three months for the MLAs to get proceedings of the state assembly due to large vacancies, BJP legislature party leader K V Singh Deo said there is no need of a second house in the state.