BHUBANESWAR: With the Opposition BJD and Congress taking an aggressive stance on the deteriorating law and order situation in the state and mismanagement in paddy procurement, the Assembly was drowned in chaos on Friday.
Speaker Surama Padhy had to adjourn the House twice till 4 pm as Opposition members trooped to the well from the beginning of question hour. The question hour was completely washed out and the House could meet only for six minutes in the pre-lunch session.
However, difference cropped up between the BJD and Congress on issues to be discussed in the House. While the BJD members were in the well shouting slogans against the government for the large scale mismanagement in paddy procurement, the Congress wanted discussion on the dismal law and order situation.
The House was initially adjourned till 12 pm by the Speaker and when it reassembled, the Congress members remained in their seats as the adjournment motion on law and order brought by them was allowed for discussion by the Speaker. The BJD members, however, continued to create ruckus seeking discussion on mismanagement in paddy procurement and the prevalence of katni-chhatni at the mandis.
Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallik told mediapersons that the BJD members staged an agitation in the House as the Speaker rejected the party’s notice for a discussion on farmers’ issues. “At least 14 farmers have died by suicide over crop loss due to unseasonal rains. We had given a notice for a discussion on the issue. However, the Speaker refused to accept it. Farmers are on the streets and have alleged that they are not being paid for about 10 kg of paddy per quintal due to the deduction in the name of katni-chhatni,” she said.
Leader of the Congress legislature party Rama Chandra Kadam said though they also wanted discussion on farmers’ issues, the party prioritised the law and order situation on the day.
BJP member Irasish Acharya blamed both the BJD and the Congress for the ruckus in the House. “The Opposition has no issue. They just want to keep the House paralysed. The people are watching their activities,” he said.