BHUBANESWAR: Even as a divided Congress prepares to take on the ruling BJD during the winter session of the assembly beginning from December 1, buoyed by the visit of party president Amit
Shah, the BJP plans to corner the state government over several issues.
Death of more than a hundred children in tribal-dominated Malkangiri district due to Japanese Encephalitis will be the major issue before the opposition political parties. The change of health secretary two days before the assembly session indicates that the ruling BJD has also taken the issue seriously.
While the Congress will expose the failure of the state government to contain the disease even after three months, the visit of union minister of state for petroleum and natural gas (PNG) Dharmendra Pradhan to Malkangiri has put the BJP in an advantageous position.
Leader of the Opposition Narasingh Mishra said failure of the state government to check the death of children in Malkangiri will be raised on a priority. The disease has also spread to several other districts because of the lack of proper health infrastructure in tribal areas, he said.
Death of children in Nagada due to malnutrition will also be raised by the state government, Mishra said and added that the deteriorating law and order situation will be another major issue to be
discussed during the session.
The leader of the Opposition said the double speak of the state government on the Mahanadi river water dispute with Chhattisgarh and the misleading statements given by ministers on the issue will be raised by the Opposition. Mishra said the issue has assumed significance as it was admitted by the ruling BJD recently.
Acute poverty in many parts of the state despite claims of the government to the contrary will also be raised during the session by the opposition political parties. The Congress Legilature Party will
meet on December 1 to prioritise the issues and the manner in which those will be raised.
Leader of the BJP Legislature Party (BJPLP) KV Singhdeo said law and order situation, failure of the government to create health infrastructure and largescale vacancies of doctors and teachers are some of the major issues to be raised during the session. The BJPLP will meet tomorrow to finalise the issues, he said.
The state government will place the supplementary budget on December 1, the first day of the session. Parliament affairs minister Bikram Arukha said the state government is prepared to discuss any issue to be raised by the opposition.
The state government will bring nine bills during the session. The Appropriation Bill will passed on December 15.