Procedural lapse stalled Vidhan Parishad progress

Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: Procedural mistake by the State authorities, and never any deliberate try by the Centre, has stalled progress within the matter of formation of Vidhan Parishad in Odisha for which the Assembly had handed a decision in September, 2018.

The mistake was a obtrusive one, however no one within the  State authorities had given a thought until an issue was raised after Union Minister of Law Kiren Rijiju replying to a query within the Rajya Sabha stated that the Centre is but to obtain any decision on this regard.

The lapse was that because the Parliamentary Affairs division had moved the decision within the Assembly, it ought to have submitted a proposal together with the decision to the Centre. Only forwarding the decision by the Assembly secretariat to the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha wouldn’t suffice. 

Sources stated that Rijiju had made no mistake whereas replying to the query of senior BJD MP Prasanna Acharya that the Centre had not obtained any proposal. The Union Law division has no proposal until date on creation of legislative council in Odisha from the State authorities.

Soon after the reply of the Union Law Minister within the Parliament on February 10, 2022, Assembly Speaker Surya Narayan Patro had introduced that two letters have once more been despatched once more to the Centre over the matter. In the primary letter despatched by the Assembly secretariat, all paperwork referring to the decision handed within the Odisha Assembly have been offered. The second letter was written by the Speaker to Union Law Minister in search of an investigation into the alleged non-receipt of the decision by the Centre.

Procedural lapse stalled Vidhan Parishad progress

The Speaker informed mediapersons on Sunday {that a} letter has been obtained from the Centre concerning the formation of legislative council in Odisha. It has been instructed that there needs to be interplay with the Parliamentary Affairs division. 

He stated that the response from the Centre containing particulars concerning the process for formation of legislative council has been forwarded to the Secretary of the Parliamentary Affairs division. He stated that the Centre has sought some clarifications, however didn’t elaborate on it.

The Parliamentary Affairs division of the State authorities will now need to formally submit a proposal to the Centre on the formation of the Vidhan Parishad in Odisha.