Naveen Asks Party MPs To Continue As Member Of Parliamentary Standing Committees

Bhubaneswar: In a sudden change in decision, BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday asked his party MPs to continue as members in the Parliament Standing Committees.

The Chief Minister on March 3 had a meeting with his party MPs at Naveen Niwas prior to the second phase Parliamentary Budget session and discussed about the issues to be raised during the session. In that meeting, he had asked the MPs to resign as members of the Parliament Standing Committees.

Talking to media persons, leader of the BJD Parliamentary Party, Bhartruhari Mahatab said the Chief Minister reviews the role and performance of each MP who are the members of different Parliament Standing Committees every year.

“In the meeting held on March 4, the Chief Minister had told us to resign as member of these committees. But he told me today that since the general elections will be held in less than a year, performance appraisal of the MPs would not be proper. So he asked all the party MPs to continue as members of these standing committees,” Mahatab said.

To a question on whether the suspended BJD MP Baijayant Panda has resigned as a member of the standing committee, Mahatab said “As far as I know, he has not resigned.”