The Legislative Reforms Act II OF 1108 (1933) created two legislative
chambers, the Sri Chithra State Council and the Sri Mulam Assembly.
The Assembly consisted of 72 members of whom 62 were non-officials,
48 being elected by various constituencies and 14 nominated by
Government to represent minority communities and other interests.
The Dewan was the President of the Assembly. There was also an
elected Deputy President. The Sri Chithra State Councils composed
of 37 members of whom 27 were non-officials and 10 officials.The
Dewan was the ex-officio President of the Council.
Both Houses of the Legislature possessed the right to initiate
and pass legislative measures and discuss the annual budget of
revenue and expenditure. Members of both Houses may ask questions
and supplementary questions and move resolutions on matters of
general public interest. All legislative measures require the
assent of both chambers before they are submitted to His Highness
the Maharaja for his assent. Certain emergency powers of legislation
were vested in the Dewan. But the laws so passed will be in force
only for six months. The budget was presented to both Houses,
but the Assembly had a larger control over the finance than the
Council, since the former may reduce or omit a demand or part
thereof while the latter had to deal with each demand as a whole
and had no power to reduce the grant or any of the items comprising
it. The law provided for the constitution of joint committees,
to settle difference of opinion which might arise between the
two Chambers. A Public Accounts Committee consisting of officials
and non-officials scrutinised the audit and appropriation reports
of Government.