June 28, 2011
CM shows respect to opposition, forms committee to review on Bidhan Parishad formation
Kolkata, June 27: The Trinamool-led government moved a motion in the Assembly tomorrow to revive the Legislative Council or Bidhan Parishad and keep the electoral pledge of accommodating “intellectuals and other public personalities” in the upper chamber of the state legislature.
Even though Trinamool Congress had the majority and the required numbers to power the motion in its favor, the Chief Minister showed a lot of grace and statesmanship and opined to from a 15-member committee to be formed. The committee is to review the issue and report within 45 days.
`Since Opposition members expressed reservations about the resolution (to revive the state legislature’s upper House), we shall give full respect to them even though we have a majority,` Ms. Banerjee said after Legislative Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee introduced the resolution in the Assembly today.
Legislative Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee said the council’s revival was “part of our leader Mamata Banerjee’s electoral pledge. She wants to involve public personalities who are not keen to join politics directly but would like to enrich us in good governance and better legislation.”
The council or Vidhan Parishad is likely to be a 98-member House. It has similar powers and functions as the Rajya Sabha in the context of Parliament.
Some of its members will be nominated by the governor; the rest will be elected by MLAs and by constituencies made up of teachers, graduates and local bodies. The Council could have members from every sphere of the society, including the down trodden and under-privileged.
