Opposition parties  on Friday reiterated their stand against the BJD Government’s move to form a State  legislative Council while the BJD and the Samata Kranti Dal supported it.Speaking at a ‘Gan Adalat’ on the topic “Relevance of State legislative Council in Odisha” organised by the Orissa State Press Club here, BJP general secretary Bhrugu Baxipatra said 11 months ago the BJD was opposing formation of a State legislative Council. Now, it is a political decision by the party to accommodate some of its dissidents.

While the legislative Assembly is not functioning properly and the Speaker and the House have lost their importance, the legislative Council move is only aimed at winning over the dissidents.Utkal Bharat president Kharabela Swain said a legislative Council has no powers like the Rajya Sabha and has even no power to stop Bills from being passed in the Assembly. While the lok Sabha cannot dissolve the Rajya Sabha, the Assembly can dissolve the council any time.

In fact, a legislative Council would be a rehabilitation centre for the “leisure class to benefit. Film stars and sportspersons have performed very poorly in the Rajya Sabha. No film personalities or sportspersons are nominated to the American Senate, swain said.Editor of Sambad and Aam Odisha Party president Soumya Ranjam Patnaik said the Government is not able to run the Assembly for 60 days a year; so, its move to form a legislative Council is creating doubts about the Government’s intention.

However, BJD general secretary Narendra Swain said many top intellectuals can become members of the proposed council and advise on the steps to be taken for the State’s development.The same sentiments were echoed by founder of the Samata Kranti Dal and former MP Braja Kishore Tripathy, who said a council would make the bureaucracy more responsive.