BHUBANESWAR: Procedural mistake by the State government, and not any deliberate attempt by the Centre, has stalled progress in the matter of formation of Vidhan Parishad in Odisha for which the Assembly had passed a resolution in September, 2018.
The mistake was a glaring one, but nobody in the State government had given a thought till a controversy was raised after Union Minister of Law Kiren Rijiju replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha said that the Centre is yet to receive any resolution in this regard.
The lapse was that as the Parliamentary Affairs department had moved the resolution in the Assembly, it should have submitted a proposal along with the resolution to the Centre. Only forwarding the resolution by the Assembly secretariat to the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha would not suffice.
Sources said that Rijiju had made no mistake while replying to the question of senior BJD MP Prasanna Acharya that the Centre had not received any proposal. The Union Law department has no proposal till date on creation of legislative council in Odisha from the State government.
Soon after the reply of the Union Law Minister in the Parliament on February 10, 2022, Assembly Speaker Surya Narayan Patro had announced that two letters have again been sent again to the Centre over the matter. In the first letter sent by the Assembly secretariat, all documents relating to the resolution passed in the Odisha Assembly were provided. The second letter was written by the Speaker to Union Law Minister seeking an investigation into the alleged non-receipt of the resolution by the Centre.
Procedural lapse stalled Vidhan Parishad progress
The Speaker told mediapersons on Sunday that a letter has been received from the Centre regarding the formation of legislative council in Odisha. It has been suggested that there should be interaction with the Parliamentary Affairs department.
He said that the response from the Centre containing details about the procedure for formation of legislative council has been forwarded to the Secretary of the Parliamentary Affairs department. He said that the Centre has sought some clarifications, but did not elaborate on it.
The Parliamentary Affairs department of the State government will now have to formally submit a proposal to the Centre on the formation of the Vidhan Parishad in Odisha.