Who Is Pramila Mallick? First Woman Speaker Of Odisha Assembly

Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Pramila Mallick, a six-time MLA, is poised to make history as the first female speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly.

Her candidature for the Speaker's position is expected to be filed on Thursday, and with the ruling BJD party's overwhelming majority, her election is essentially a formality.

The Speaker's position became vacant following the resignation of Bikram Keshari Arukha, who was appointed as the Finance Minister during the recent cabinet shuffle. Here’s everything we know about Pramila Mallick.

Who is Pramila Mallick?

Pramila Mallik is an Indian political figure who secured a seat in the Odisha Legislative Assembly representing Binjharpur as a member of the Biju Janata Dal party. She is 51 years old and is married to Damodar Mallick.

In response to her nomination as the first female speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly, Mallick expressed her gratitude to Odisha's Chief Minister for placing trust in her and affirmed her commitment to conducting the assembly's proceedings fairly.

6-time MLA to be the first woman speaker of Odisha assembly

She highlighted the BJD's dedication to realising the vision of the late Biju Patnaik, who championed women's rights. She pointed out that Biju Patnaik introduced women's reservation in panchayati raj and urban local bodies in 1992, long before many other states followed suit.

Additionally, Mallick praised the efforts of the current Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, in advocating for the Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament. She emphasised that while some only make promises, Patnaik's actions speak volumes about his commitment to women's empowerment. 

Mallick encouraged women to actively participate in electoral politics and asserted that Naveen Patnaik's efforts to empower women would leave a lasting legacy for future generations throughout India.

Moreover, on Thursday, the Biju Janata Dal also took the decision to expel senior MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik and Remuna MLA Sudhanshu Sekhar Parida from the party. This decision comes as a response to allegations of their involvement in what has been described as 'anti-people activities' and following accusations by the state Economic Offences Wing (EOW) regarding a ₹50 crore loan fraud that allegedly involved the use of forged salary certificates of government employees.

Suggested Reading: Will Women's Reservation Bill Turn Tables For Female Representation In Politics?