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History| Rules
of Procedure | Governors
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Ministers | Council
of Ministers since 1957 |
Presiding Officers Since 1957 |
Deputy Presiding Officers since 1957
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Speakers Secretaries | President's
Rule | Duration
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to Information Act
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KERALA
LEGISLATURE - A SKETCH OF EVOLUTION |
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In
1907, the Assembly was conferred the right to select 4
members to the Legislative Council. The year also saw the
formation of a legislative committee to look into the
system of inheritance and Marumakkathayam. The Sixth to
the Eleventh Councils were held during the period from
1904 to 1919.
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In
1919, a major structural shift occurred by a regulation
aimed at broad basing the administration and the powers of
the Council. The strength of the Legislative Council was
raised to a maximum of 25, with a bare official majority.
Provision was made for election to 8 out of the 11
non-official seats. Besides, the members were given the
rights to discuss the annual budget and to ask
interpellations.
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Further
changes appeared in October 1921, when the strength of the
Council was fixed as 50, with 28 elected and 22 nominated
elements. Among the nominated members, 7 were to be
non-officials. Provision was made for the appointment of a
Deputy President, not necessarily an officer, to preside
over in the absence of the President. Subject to certain
limitations, the Members were given the right to vote on
the Budget, to move resolutions on matters of public
interest, to ask supplementary questions and to bring
adjournment motions.
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In
the 4 Councils (1922-25, 1925-28, 1928-31 and 1931-33), 27
bills were passed. In 1922, 4 Committees were formed for
the consideration of the draft-revised rules for the
Assembly, assessment of the working of the Government
Press, and, consideration of rules governing educational
scholarships and the question of accommodation in His
Highness the Maharajas College of Trivandrum. A Standing
Finance Committee was constituted on 12th January 1923. In
April 1923, another Committee was constituted to consider
the question of establishing a University of Travancore
and to examine the working of PWD Workshops.
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A
parallel development emerged in Cochin, where the Cochin
Legislative Council Regulation Act, 1923 provided for a
Legislative Council. The First Council (1925-28), with 45
members (30 elected and 15 nominated), was constituted in
April 1925, under the President ship of Sri. T. S.
Narayana Aiyar. The franchise was based on property and
allied qualifications. There were General and Special
Constituencies. The Council was allowed to introduce
Bills, ask questions, move resolutions and discuss and
vote on Budget Demands. In 1926, 2 Select Committees were
formed. The First Council passed 8 Bills and the Second
Council (1928-31), 20 Bills.
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Malabar,
which was a district of Madras Province under the British
rule, had representatives in Madras Legislative Assembly
from 1920's.
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In
Travancore, freedom of speech was guaranteed in 1930 by an
Amendment to the earlier Regulation. On October 28, 1932,
a momentous structural addition was made by the Travancore
Legislative Regulation. Bicameralism took a new shape,
with the creation of a Lower House, the Sri Mulam
Assembly, and an Upper House, the Sri Chitra State
Council. The earlier bodies were abolished. In the new
Assembly, there were to be 72 members, of whom 62 were to
be non-officials. Of the 72 members, 43 were elected by
General Constituencies and 5 were from Special
Constituencies. 14 seats were reserved for minority
communities. The Sri Chitra State Council had 37 members,
of whom 27 were non-officials (16 from General
Constituencies, 6 from Special Constituencies and 5
nominated). This bicameral setup was established on
January 1, 1933. The First Assembly (1933-37) had 9
sessions and passed 102 bills; the First Council passed 58
bills.
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Power
was given to the Assembly to vote on the Demands for
Grants and to reduce or omit any item of the demand. In
1932, a Joint Committee of both the chambers was created.
The year witnessed the constitution of the Public Accounts
Committee, heralding a tradition of executive
accountability.
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Functionally,
the enactments made right from the beginning, ranged from
the Jenmy Kudiyan Act of 1896 relating to tenancy rights
of agricultural lands to the Factories Act, 1914 and the
Trade Union Act, 1937, all of which had weighty impact in
the socio-economic scenario.
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On
12th December 1933, the Viceroy Lord Wellington laid the
foundation stone for a new Assembly building at the
Northern side of the Secretariat. The new building was
opened by Sir. C. P. Ramaswamy Aiyar, on 8th February,
1939. On the very next day, (9th February, 1939), the
Second Sri Mulam Assembly (1937-44), in its 4th Session
met in the new Chamber. A Proclamation dated 18th March
1939, stated that all regulations till then and future
enactments were to be styled as Acts.
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In
Cochin, the number of Members of the Council was increased
to 54 (36 elected and 18 nominated). Four Advisory
Committees were constituted in 1935. In 1938, under the
Government of Cochin Act, diarchy was introduced. A Member
of Legislature was appointed as Minister to administer
certain transferred subjects. The total number of Councils
from 1925 to 1948 was 6.
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In
the years from 1930 to 1936, Malabar sent 5 Members to
Madras Legislature. Almost all the Congress candidates
were elected in the provincial elections in Malabar, in
1936. Sri. Kongattil Raman Menon was a minister in the C.
Rajagopalachary ministry (1937-39).
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Going
back to Travancore, the 3rd Assembly and Council were held
from 1944 to 1947 in 4 sessions each. Bicameral set up
continued in Cochin till September 4, 1947. The number of
Ministers was increased to 4 in 1946. In 1946, the Public
Accounts Committee was founded in Cochin Legislature. The
enactments in Cochin and Madras too were reformative.
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