BHUBANESWAR: The Assembly, on Monday, witnessed repeated adjournments after question hour as ruling BJD, Opposition Congress and BJP members created a pandemonium over Mahanadi and farmers’ issues.
Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat managed to pass the supplementary budget of 39 departments through guillotine as the noisy scenes continued during the afternoon session. After the question hour was over, BJP members rushed into the well of the House raising farmers’ issue and demanding loans waiver. They (BJP members) shouted slogans against the State Government and described it as anti-farmer.
The BJP members criticised the State Government for its failure to protect the interest of the farmers as the kharif crop has been hit by drought, subsequent pest attack and unseasonal rain.
The BJD members raised the Mahanadi issue and criticised the Centre for acting in a partisan manner by not constituting the tribunal to resolve the dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh. They alleged that the Centre is supporting BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh which is constructing projects on upstream of Mahanadi river “illegally.”
The ruling party members opposed the Centre’s stand in the Supreme Court on December 6 that the ongoing dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh over Mahanadi should be sorted out through negotiations between the parties concerned. Sanjay Dasburma (BJD) alleged that Chhattisgarh government has planned river interlinking to draw more water from Mahanadi and as a result of which the river will soon be dry.
Among heated exchanges between members of the two parties, the Speaker adjourned the house till 3 pm.
When the House reassembled, Leader of Opposition Narasingh Mishra sought a ruling from the Speaker on the alleged exploitation of paddy farmers at government ‘mandis’.Mishra demanded a statement from the Agriculture Minister as to why the government ‘mandis’ deduct about 5 kg on each 100 kg of paddy being sold by farmers. As the Speaker continued with other business, Congress members rushed to well and raised anti-government slogans alleging distress sale of paddy by farmers.
When the BJP members joined the Congress MLAs, the BJD members again raised the Mahanadi issue creating a ruckus and Amat adjourned the House till 4.28 pm.
Noisy scenes continued after the house re-assembled forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House till Tuesday after the House passed additional expenditure statement of 39 departments through guillotine.