BHUBANESWAR: Ahead of the budget session of the Assembly beginning from July 22, Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday assigned various departments to 50 MLAs of the BJD and asked them to closely monitor the activities of the BJP government.
The MLAs were also asked to raise issues pertaining to the departments assigned to them in the Assembly. An office order signed by the BJD president said the MLAs have been allotted departments for close monitoring, Assembly interventions and taking up other issues related to them.
This is for the first time in the country an opposition party has entrusted department-wise responsibility to its legislators.
Naveen also convened the meeting of the BJD legislature party on July 20 to discuss the issues to be raised in the budget session of the Assembly.
BJD’s move to distribute portfolios is seen as an attempt to emerge as a strong Opposition and corner the BJP government during the budget session. A release issued by the BJD said the Opposition works as the watchdog of public interest in a democracy.
Keeping a close watch on the activities of different departments and active participation in Assembly debates will help protect the interest of the people. Accordingly, the Leader of the Opposition has given responsibility to 50 BJD MLAs to monitor various programmes of the departments, it added.
Deputy Leader of Opposition Prasanna Acharya has been allotted Finance and Public Enterprises department while Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallick has been entrusted with Panchayatiraj and Drinking Water and Parliamentary Affairs departments. Deputy chief whip Pratap Deb will look after General Administration and Public Grievance department. Niranjan Pujari will be in charge of Home and Food and Consumer Welfare while Arun Sahoo will look after Water Resources.
The first session of the 17th Assembly will start on July 22 with the address of Governor Raghubar Das. The announcement in connection with the election of the deputy Speaker and discussion on the motion of thanks on the Governor’s address will take place on July 23.
The Odisha budget for 2024-25 will be presented by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on July 25.