BHUBANESWAR: Six more Bills, including the Odisha Municipal Corporation (Second amendment) Bill, 2017 increasing the retirement age of the chairperson of State Municipal Corporation Assessment Tribunal to 65 years, were passed in the Assembly before it was adjourned sine die by Speaker Pradip Amat on Saturday.Introducing the Bill, Housing and Urban Development Minister Niranjan Pujari said as per the existing provision, the chairperson of the State Municipal Corporation Assessment Tribunal will be appointed for a period of five years or till he or she attains the age of 58 years.
Since the current age limit for retirement from Government service is 60 years, a judicial officer after superannuation cannot be appointed as chairperson in view of the present upper age limit. The Bill proposed to enhance the age limit to 65 years, the Minister added. On the last day of the session, four Bills tabled on pay hike of legislators, ministers, speaker and deputy speaker were passed in the House following a minor amendment in the Odisha Legislative Assembly Members salary, allowance and pension. With the amendment, monthly allowance of former legislators was hiked from `25,000 to `30,000.
Total 14 Bills were passed during monsoon session of the Assembly which concluded on Saturday.
The monsoon session which began on September 7 was mostly stormy over several issues. The eight-day session had six official and two private members day.While Opposition tried to corner the BJD over the flyover collapse in Bomikhal and negligence towards farmers, the ruling BJD and the Opposition Congress members created ruckus over the fuel price rise.