BHUBANESWAR: With a majority members of the treasury benches, including ministers, abstaining from the Assembly for the last couple of days, opposition BJP on Wednesday urged Speaker SN Patro to adjourn the House till Patkura election is over.
Taking objection to absence of Ministers and members of the ruling party, Leader of Opposition Pradipta Kumar Naik said it is disrespect to the House as Ministers are not available during demand discussion of their departments.
Only eight out of 21 Ministers and 61 of the 111 BJD MLAs are present in the House.
Accusing Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of violating the model code of conduct for allegedly distributing rice and monthly social welfare pension among beneficiaries in Patkura, Naik said BJD members camping in Patkura are misusing official machinery to influence the voters.
Drawing attention of the Speaker to the absence of Ministers and BJD MLAs from the Assembly during Budget session, Naik who raised the issue during zero hour said Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari is replying to questions on behalf of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister RP Swain while Planning and Convergence Minister Padmanabh Behera responded to queries posed to Higher Education Minister Arun Sahu.
He alleged that both Swain and Sahu are among the Ministers campaigning for BJD candidate in Patkura.
The Ministers and MLAs of the ruling party are seen in television channels campaigning for their party candidate where polling is scheduled to take place on July 20.
Naik supported Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati, who on Tuesday, suggested the Speaker to adjourn the House proceedings till the election process is over.
Deputy leader of the BJP Bishnu Sethi said only 61 legislators (including eight ministers) out of 111 MLAs of BJD were present in the House on Wednesday.
The party’s legislators are showing indifference to people’s issues and skipping Assembly for election.
“The ruling party is boasting that it follows the ideology of Biju Babu but we are witnessing the opposite. His father never campaigned in any by-polls but Naveen Babu is seen campaigning in every by-election. Why is the party so desperate if it is sure of winning the seat,” Sethi questioned.
Government Chief Whip Pramilla Mallick, however, said required number of ministers and MLAs are present in the House. A BJP delegation met CEO in this regard.