BHUBANESWAR: The Assembly on Tuesday witnessed noisy scenes over farmers’ issues as opposition Congress and BJP members rushed into the well shouting slogans and forcing Speaker Pradip Amat to adjourn the House twice during the pre-lunch session.
Business could be transacted for only four minutes as the Speaker adjourned the House first till 12 noon and then till 3 pm as the Opposition members stay put in the well shouting slogans.
Congress members led by party whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati trooped into the well and raised anti-government slogans as soon as the House assembled for question hour. They held the Government responsible for the plight of farmers in the State.
The members alleged that farmers are being exploited at the Government-run mandis when they go to sell their produce. BJP members led by Rabi Narayan Naik also rushed to the well criticising the State Government for depriving the farmers of `100 crore under the crop insurance scheme. They said the farmers suffered due to wrong policy of the Government officials. As the Opposition members continued their agitation in the well, the Speaker adjourned the House till 12 noon.
The situation did not improve when the House re-assembled after the break as opposition members continued with slogan shouting. The treasury bench members raised the Mahanadi issue while standing near their seats to counter the Opposition.
Alleging that people of Odisha suffered due to “double standards” of the BJP -led NDA government at the Centre, BJD member Sanjay Dasburma said the Centre supported the illegal activities of Chhattisgarh which has been constructing projects on the upstream of Mahanadi. As the din continued in the House, Amat again adjourned the proceedings till 3 pm.
Rs 39.12 crore spent on CM, Ministers airfares
Bhubaneswar: The State Government has spent more than J39.12 crore towards airfare of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and other ministers in five years between 2013 and 2017. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha informed this in the Assembly on Tuesday in a written reply to a question from Dilip Ray (BJP).
While J7.68 crore was spent towards airfare of Chief Minister and other ministers during 2013, the expenditure in this regard was J4.88 crore, J8.43 crore, J11.14 crore and J6.97 crore in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively, the Minister said, adding, this included fare for travel within the State and outside. Arukha said, the Chief Minister had undertaken choppers 196 times for his movement within the State.
Other ministers used choppers for 68 times in five years. He said, the Chief Minister had undertaken flights outside Odisha on 14 occasions in the five years while one minister undertook air travel outside the State only once.