BHUBANESWAR: Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik came down heavily on the Governor’s address in the Assembly stating, “It was long on words, but short on action.”
Talking to mediapersons, the LoP said the government can be described as ‘short on work’ despite the lengthy speech of the Governor in the House. Stating that the law and order situation is in a very terrible state, he said, reports of violence and lawlessness in different parts of the state are unparalleled anywhere else in the country.
Senior BJD MLA Arun Sahoo said that the two-hour-long Governor’s address could have been reduced to two minutes as there was no substance in it. “When the government failed to spend even half of the budget allocation, how can there be so much achievement as claimed by the government. Development work has come to a standstill across Odisha,” he said.
Leader of the Congress legislature party (CLP) Ramachandra Kadam alleged that the Governor’s speech and the ground reality did not match. “The speech was full of contradictions. The government has failed on all fronts,” he said.
Members of BJD and Congress staged a walkout from the House after listening to the Governor’s speech for about one hour, alleging that he had said nothing about law and order situation, farmers’ distress and rising unemployment in the state.
Mahakud, Arvind remain seated
Even as BJD and Congress MLAs staged a walkout during Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati’s address in the Assembly on Tuesday, two suspended members of the regional party Sanatan Mahakud and Arvind Mohapatra remained seated and continued to listen to the Governor. The seats of both these MLAs have been changed following their suspension from the BJD. Mohapatra welcomed the change of his seat in the Assembly. “I will do whatever I like in the House. I sat through the Governor’s address because I liked it. I will now raise issues of Patkura constituency,” he added.