BHUBANESWAR: Even as Opposition BJP and Congress are determined to continue staging protests over the Mamita Meher murder case, the winter session of the Assembly is likely to be curtailed and adjourned after the Appropriation Bill for the first supplementary budget is passed in the House on December 10.
Though the House has not met for even one hour during the first four days of the session, there has been no attempt by the ruling BJD to normalise the situation. Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro has so far not called an all-party meeting to discuss repeated adjournments of the House over the Mamita Meher issue.
Sources said the House will run from Monday even if the Opposition BJP and Congress members create ruckus demanding the resignation of Minister of State for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra. While Monday is reserved for official business, discussion on demand for grants of different departments will be held on December 7, 8 and 9.
The ruling BJD members have been asked to remain present in the House so that official and other businesses can be conducted despite the ruckus created by the Opposition. Both BJP and Congress have announced that the House will not be allowed to run despite the video statement of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the Mamita Meher murder case.
Deputy leader of BJP Legislature Party Bishnu Charan Sethi had made the intention of his party clear by saying the Chief Minister ignored the demand for a CBI probe into the case in his statement. Criticising the attitude of the ruling party, leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Narasingha Mishra said the Speaker is yet to call any meeting to resolve the issue. Countering the Chief Minister’s statement that the Opposition is politicising the issue, Mishra said the party wants discussion on the matter.