BHUBANESWAR: The Chikiti hooch tragedy, which has claimed two lives so far, found echo in the Assembly on Wednesday with the Opposition BJD demanding a probe by the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) into the issue.
The BJD members created noisy scenes from the start forcing Speaker Surama Padhy to adjourn the House till 11.30 am and then till 4 pm. As the House assembled for the day, BJD and Congress members trooped into the well shouting slogans.
Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallick told mediapersons outside the Assembly that the BJP government has failed to check trade of spurious liquor in Ganjam district as members of ruling party are hand-in-glove with those responsible for the tragedy.
She demanded that the government should place the investigation report in the House during the ongoing budget session. The report should specify those involved in the spurious liquor trade and what steps the government has taken to check it during the last two months, she said. Alleging that the BJP had come to power by promising prohibition in the state, Mallick said during the last two months it has been noticed that the saffron party is encouraging liquor trade.
Meanwhile, leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik has constituted a fact-finding team headed by former Excise minister Niranjan Pujari to visit Chikiti and take stock of the situation. Former minister Usha Devi, former MLAs Ramesh Chandra Chyau Patnaik and Bikram Panda are other members of the team that will submit report to the BJD president on Thursday evening after returning from Chikiti.