Bhubaneswar: The monsoon session of Odisha Assembly began Friday with the state’s first woman Speaker Pramila Mallik presiding over the proceeding.
Mallik, who hails from the dalit community, is the first woman to occupy the post. She is the 26th full time speaker of the Assembly.
The first day of the monsoon session got underway at 11am with the House making obituary references.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik moved a motion to condole the death of eight people – five former members and three jawans. The House observed a minute’s silence as a mark of respect.
Condolence was expressed in honour of SN Patro, sitting member and ex-Speaker, Trilochan Kanungo, Ramesh Soren, Nibedita Pradhan, Kumar Behera (all ex-members), Debashish Biswal (ex-lance naik, 49 Rashtriya Rifle), Sushant Kumar Khuntia (CRPF ex-constable) and Sushant Mohanty (Odisha Police ex-constable).
Mallik later adjourned the proceeding till 5am when Finance Minister B K Arukha is scheduled to present the first supplementary budget for 2023-24.
Newly elected MLA Dipali Das from Jharsuguda, who made her Assembly debut Friday, said “I am highly excited as this is my first day in the Assembly and as a woman has been made the speaker of the House.”
Das is the daughter of the late minister Naba Kishore Das, who was gunned down January 29, 2023. She was elected to the Assembly in a by-election.
BJD women MLAs also met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at his chamber in the assembly and thanked him for nominating a woman as the Speaker.
The 16th Odisha Assembly has 18 women members of whom 17 belong to the ruling BJD and one to the opposition BJP. Of the 17 BJD women MLAs, four are ministers and one is a Speaker.
PTI