BHUBANESWAR: Rejection of an adjournment notice by Opposition BJD for discussion on the controversial Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh led to pandemonium in the Assembly on Thursday, forcing repeated adjournments by Speaker Surama Padhy.
As the House assembled for the day and the Speaker proceeded with the customary question hour session, members of the BJD trooped into the well shouting slogans demanding a debate on Polavarm project.
When Health minister Mukesh Mahaling rose to respond to a query, his reply was drowned in the din. The House witnessed a series of adjournments and no business could be conducted in the first half of the day.
Justifying the demand for a discussion on the project, which on completion will submerge several villages in Malkangiri district, BJD’s deputy leader in the Assembly, Prasanna Acharya insisted that the matter be discussed in the House in the interest of the people. The BJP, however, rejected the demand for debate on the ground that the matter is now sub-judice.
Dismissing BJP’s argument, BJD MLA Arun Kumar Sahoo said the Polavarm issue was important because the central government has not taken any visible measures to stop the heightening of the dam as the TDP government in Andhra Pradesh is a member of the NDA government.
“Will they not douse the flame if their house is on fire, just because the matter is sub-judice. Should we wait silently till the dam project inundates our villages because the matter is sub-judice,” Sahoo questioned.
He said the BJP has 20 MPs in Lok Sabha but they are not raising the issue while the state government is also silent. BJP member Irasish Acharya said the Rules of the Business of Odisha Legislative Assembly clearly mentioned that matter under sub-judice cannot be discussed in the House.
The Congress MLAs, on the other hand, boycotted the proceedings from the start by staging dharna near the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the Assembly premises protesting the suspension of senior member Tara Prasad Bahinipati. The Congress members wore black badges as a mark of protest.
Leader of the Congress legislature party Ramachandra Kadam raised the issue through point of order during zero hour requesting the Speaker to lift the suspension of Bahinipati. The Speaker called for an all-party meeting in which she put the condition that Bahinipati’s suspension will be lifted if he tenders apology for his disrespect to the chair.
Bahinipati, however, told mediapersons outside the Assembly that he was ready to tender apology provided the Speaker agreed to constitute a House committee on women safety. His other condition was a statement from Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in the Assembly on increasing atrocities on women in the state.