BHUBANESWAR: Formation of Legislative Council in Odisha will be one of the key issues to be raised by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) during the Winter session of Parliament beginning from Monday.
The demand was raised by the BJD at the all-party meeting convened by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla ahead of the winter session in New Delhi on Sunday.
BJD MP Pinaki Mishra said the Centre was requested to move a constitutional amendment bill in this regard during the session. There will be reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Women in the council.
The Odisha Assembly had passed a resolution for the establishment of the legislative council (Vidhan Parishad) on September 7, 2018.
The Congress and BJP members walked out of the House opposing the formation by alleging that the ruling party is pushing for a Vidhan Parishad purely out of political interest.
However, justifying the need for the council, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had said the State has picked up growth momentum and to further accelerate this growth, wider consultation is necessary.
All the 104 BJD MLAs present in the Assembly had voted in favour of the resolution. However, the ruling party has come in for strong criticism over the issue from the BJP.
Odisha unit BJP president and Lok Sabha MP Basant Panda said the BJD’s demand for formation of the council is meant to serve its political interest of rehabilitating the party leaders who have either lost the elections or denied ticket during 2019 polls.
Besides, there are several issues, national, state and constituency-based which will be raised by the BJD during the winter session of Parliament.
The party’s Rajya Sabha member and spokesperson Sasmit Patra said the BJD MPs will demand introduction and passing of the Women’s Reservation Bill.
Increasing banking and telecommunication coverage as well as the expansion of National Highways in the State will be raised, Patra said and added that inclusion of at least two tourist places of Odisha among the 17 identified iconic tourist sites by the Centre will also be demanded.
Patra said the BJD MPs will demand that work on Polavaram project should be stopped and the project reformulated as per the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal recommendations. Besides, starting of Bhubaneswar to Dubai direct international flight and recognition of Baliyatra as national maritime heritage festival will be demanded, he said.
The BJD MP said pending PDS subsidy payable to Odisha by the Centre should be released. He said subsidy of Rs 2123 crore of 2017-18 and Rs 1345 crore from 2018 to September 2019 is pending with the Centre. Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Grameen), Contingency Fund amounting to Rs 202 crore and Rs 818 crore towards the first tranche are pending and the Centre must transfer those to Odisha at the earliest, he said and added that the demand for rollback of CBSE fees hike will also be raised.
Major issues
● Women’s Reservation Bill
● Telecom coverage
● NH expansion
● Polavaram project
● Flight to Dubai
● PDS subsidy dues