The winter session of the Assembly is likely to be adjourned nine days ahead of schedule as the State Government has decided to rush through five Bills and other pending business on Monday.
The winter session was scheduled to meet from November 28 to December 26. But the business advisory committee (BAC) of the Assembly, which met on Friday without the Congress, BJP and CPI members, decided to rush through the pending business on Monday which includes five bills and a motion on Central neglect of the State in releasing financial assistance after twin calamities.
The five Bills likely to be passed in the House are the Odisha Conduct of Examination Bill, 2013; the Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Bill, 2013; the Biju Patnaik University of Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2013; Odisha Pani Panchayat (Amendment) Bill, 2013 and Indian Stamp (Odisha Amendment) Bill, 2013.
The decision of the BAC has, however, come in for sharp criticism from the Opposition Congress. Alleging that such a decision is undemocratic, Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh and Congress whip Prasad Harichandan said the ruling party is running away from the House after Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Surya Narayan Patro was caught misleading the people on Central assistance to the State.
Singh alleged that the BAC meeting was convened in a short notice deliberately so that the Opposition members could not attend it. The Speaker’s office informed about the meeting to be held at 4 pm to Congress members at 3.45 pm when they were on a dharna near the Gandhi statue on the Assembly premises.
“The meeting was held though we informed the Speaker’s office that it will take some time for us to attend,” Singh said. The meeting was over when Congress members arrived at 4.50 pm, he said.
Singh also criticised the Speaker for not allowing a discussion on the admissibility of an adjournment motion notice given on the mysterious death of a girl student of Ravenshaw University.
Congress Chief Whip Prasad Harichandan alleged that the Government does not want to run the Assembly after it cut a sorry figure for misleading the Assembly and the people on the Central assistance issue.
pending bills
five Bills likely to be passed on monday
* The Odisha Conduct of Examination Bill, 2013
* The Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Bill, 2013
* The Biju Patnaik University of Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2013
* Odisha Pani Panchayat (Amendment) Bill, 2013
* Indian Stamp (Odisha Amendment) Bill, 2013.