BHUBANESWAR: No business could be transacted in the State Assembly during the pre-lunch session on Thursday with Congress members creating ruckus over the government’s failure to resolve the border disputes and its inaction to streamline the functioning of mandis for paddy procurement.
The House had to be adjourned several times during the zero hour as Congress members rushed to the well of the Assembly over these issues. Raising Odisha’s dispute with Andhra Pradesh over several villages in Kotia panchayat of Koraput district, leader of Congress Legislature Party Narasingha Mishra alleged that steps announced by the State government to resolve the issue is an eye wash.
Mishra demanded that the government should convene an all-party meeting to discuss the issue as the Assembly session is on. Besides, an all-party delegation should visit the border areas and discuss problems with the villagers. The government should also take steps to boost morale of the officers working in those areas in a very difficult situation, he said.
On the issue of large-scale irregularities in mandis, the CLP leader said the reply given by the Minister in the House was not satisfactory. The problems faced by the farmers remain unresolved. Farmers want to sell their paddy, but government does not want to purchase, he said.
Senior BJP MLA Jayanarayan Mishra also came down heavily on the government for not purchasing paddy from the farmers which has given rise to discontentment in the western region of the State.
Alleging that the government has failed to resolve the border issues and address the farmers’ problems, Mishra said paddy is being piled up at the mandis. Besides, border disputes with Chhattisgarh and West Bengal have resurfaced when the government has failed to resolve the dispute with Andhra Pradesh, he said.