Bhubaneswar: The State Cabinet on Friday approved a proposal for the constitution of Vidhan Parishad (Legislative Council) in the state.
Talking to mediapersons after the meeting, which was presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the State Secretariat here, Parliamentary Affairs minister Bikram Keshari Arukh said a resolution to this effect would be passed in the State Assembly during its monsoon session beginning September 4.
According to the provision of the Constitution, of the total number of MLAs in the State Assembly (147), the Vidhan Parishad will have one-third members (49) of whom the Governor would nominate nine eminent personalities from different fields, four members will be nominated by teachers’ associations, four by the graduates of the state, 16 members by the MLAs and 16 by the elected panchayat and civic body members, he said.
“According to Clause 1 under section 169 of the Indian Constitution, a resolution has to be passed in the Legislative Assembly for the constitution of the Vidhan Parishad. To adhere to the provision of the Constitution, the State Cabinet approved the passing of a resolution to this effect in State Legislative Assembly,” he added.
The minister further informed that after the resolution is passed in the State Assembly, it will be referred to the Centre where the Union Cabinet will give an in-principle approval. A law to this effect would come into force for setting up of the Vidhan Parishad after the approved resolution of the Union Cabinet is passed in both houses of Parliament.
The state government will spend about Rs 35 crore on setting up the Vidhan Parishad, he added.
Arukh said the Chief Minister had formed a five-member special committee headed by Commerce and Transport minister Nrusingha Sahu with Manohar Randhari (BJD), Pramila Mallik (BJD), Bhujabal Majhi (Congress) and Nitish Gangadeb (BJP) as members to visit the states having the Legislative Council and study their mode of functioning.
