Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Sunday prepared its agenda of demands and strategy ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament. The one demand that the BJD is looking forward to press before Parliament is the constitution of a Legislative Council in the state.
Senior BJD leader and Puri MP Pinaki Mishra informed reporters after his party meeting to raise the issue of constitution of a Legislative Council in the state during the Parliament session beginning Monday.
“All the major parties in Odisha – BJD, BJP and Congress – unequivocally supported the formation of a Legislative Council in the state. The state Assembly had passed a resolution in this connection earlier. Now, we want to raise the issue to press for its formation. It will require a Constitution Amendment Bill which we are looking forward to,” Mishra said.
As the Biju Janata Dal leader Naveen Patnaik had earlier taken up the issue of 33 per cent of reservation for women in legislatures, the regional party will again raise the issue and seek a legislation in Parliament in this regard. Pinaki said the party has been batting for such a bill to empower women with their increased participation in politics.
The Puri MP also said the Centre is mulling to come up with the Mines and Minerals (Amendment) Bill in Parliament. “We want the copies of the draft legislation distributed among the MPs before the bill is tabled so that we can find out its relation to the interests of Odisha,” he suggested.
In view of frequent natural disasters affecting the state, it is speculated that a new Natural Disaster Bill would be tabled in the House, he said, adding, “it will be interesting to watch what the new bill has to offer to the people of Odisha”. He said he would read the bill to understand “what takeways it has for the coastal state”.
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra said the regional party has decided to raise the issue of non-inclusion of tourist sites from Odisha in the list of 17 iconic sites across the country. The party would also require the Centre’s intervention on the issue of Polvaram in the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament, Patra said.