The long-dormant Cooperative Society of Odisha’s legislators is poised for a fresh lease of life. A council meeting of the society, held on Sunday at the MLA Guest House, unanimously resolved to reactivate the body and take concrete steps forward.
Former Speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly, Pradip Amat, who chaired the meeting, played a key role in the decision. The society will now convene its executive committee meeting within the next 15 days to chart out the next course of action.
Former MLA Jiban Pradip Das, who briefed the media after the meeting, recalled that the cooperative society was formed in 2012 during Amat’s tenure as Speaker. It was designed as an all-party platform bringing together sitting and former legislators. The society originally had 52 members, though some have since passed away. After remaining inactive for several years, this was the first council meeting held in a long time.
Among those present were former Deputy Speaker Rajnikant Singh, former Minister Usha Devi, and several former MLAs cutting across political lines. Current as well as former legislators participated in the deliberations.
While the meeting itself focused on organisational revival, the gathering has sparked lively discussion on social media. Many observers noted the strong presence of former Biju Janata Dal (BJD) legislators and speculated that the meeting could also serve as an informal platform for leaders who feel sidelined in the current political landscape.
For now, the official message remains clear: the MLAs’ Cooperative Society is ready to become functional again. All eyes will now be on the upcoming executive meeting to see what concrete programmes and activities the revived body will undertake.
