As expected, the process for constitution of a State legislative Council has begun a meeting held in this regard here on Friday.
After the meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh said the State Government has decided to constitute a State legislative Council following a demand to this effect by people from various sections of the society. He said the meeting decided to form a five-member legislators’ committee, which would this month visit the States which already have legislative Councils to study their functioning. The committee would submit a report to the Government, after which a gazette notification to this effect would be issued, the Minister said.
Among others, the Secretaries of Parliamentary Affairs Department and the State Assembly were present at the meeting. As per the provisions of the Constitution, a legislative Council would be formed only after two-third members of the State legislative Assembly lend their support in its favour. less than one-third of the number of members of the Assembly can be the members of the legislative Council. However, their number should not be less than 40.
As per the decision, the total number of members in the State legislative Council would be 49. Out of these members, one-third would be elected by the Municipal Corporations, Municipalities and Zilla Parishads, one-third by the members of the legislative Assembly and one-twelfth from the education sector while one-sixth from the field of literature, science, art, cooperation and social service would be nominated by the Governor.
While at present seven States, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh, have legislative Councils, the Union Cabinet, at a meeting on November 28 last, has approved formation of a legislative Council in Assam.