By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, November 5, 2015 : Odisha Governor, S C Jamir on Thursday sent back the controversial Odisha Police Bill-2015 to the Home department for reconsideration of the state Assembly.

Government officials said they would examine the points raised by Jamir and would chalk out next course of action.

While the opposition Congress and BJP described the Governor’s action as a setback to what they called the ‘undemocratic’ government and a victory for the Opposition, the ruling BJD has called it a routine affair.

Odisha Police Bill-2015 was passed in the state Assembly on August 27. However, the Opposition was not present in the House during the passing of the Bill.

Expressing its opposition to the Bill, a delegation of Congress MLAs led by Leader of the Opposition Narasingh Mishra met the Governor on August 28 and submitted a memorandum requesting him not to give his assent to the Bill.

The Opposition had alleged that the Bill was violating the directives of the Supreme Court.

“The government should learn from this. According to the democratic set up, Governor is the head of the state. It would not be wrong to say that this is a warning to the Odisha government against its undemocratic practices,” the BJP legislature party leader Basant Panda said.

Congress chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati said, “The way the government had got the Bill passed in the absence of the Leader of the Opposition, is the most condemnable thing. We welcome the Governor returning the Bill back. I term it as a victory of the Opposition.”

However, state parliamentary affairs minister, Bikram Arrukh was unfazed, “According to article 200 of the Indian Constitution, the Governor can either give his assent to a Bill passed by the Assembly or send it back to the Assembly for reconsideration. This is nothing new. There are several instances of Governor sending back Bills for reconsideration of the state Assembly in the past.”

The Naveen Patnaik government now has two options. Either it will make the changes suggested by the Governor and place the Bill again in the Assembly or it will re-submit the Bill as it is for his ascent.

The Governor has no option but to give his assent if the Cabinet headed by Patnaik decides to resubmit the Bill, political observers said here.