Bhubaneswar: Ruling BJD members Friday stalled Assembly proceedings over the Polavaram issue and submitted a memorandum addressed to President Pranab Mukherjee to Orissa Governor SC Jamir here.
Treasury bench members rushed to well of the House as soon as it assembled for the question hour. They shouted anti-Centre slogans and accused the Union government of adopting an “anti-Orissa” stand. Unable to run the House, Speaker Niranjan Pujari adjourned the Assembly till 3 pm.
BJD MLAs including ministers also marched towards Raj Bhavan holding posters and submitted a memorandum addressed to the President to the Governor.
The ruling party opposed the Centre releasing `345 crore to Andhra Pradesh government for construction of the multi-purpose irrigation project that is likely to inundate several villages in Orissa. “We have demanded a total stop of the Polavaram project and cancellation of the environment clearance accorded to it,” said industries minister Debi Prasad Mishra.
The Assembly House Committee had Thursday decided to lodge a protest against Polavaram project with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January.
Congress leaders dubbed the BJD a political drama to diver public attention from the spate of farmers’ suicides. “When the House committee has decided to meet the Prime Minister, what was the need to stall proceedings of the House and organise a rally to the Governor’s house?” asked Congress leader Naba Kishore Das.
BJD MLA Amar Satpathy refuted the allegation and said that the BJD will continue to fight to protect the interest of the state and its people.
Meanwhile, five Congress legislators — chief whip Taraprasad Bahinipati, Bhujabal Majhi, Krushna Chandra Sagaria, Chandra Sekhar Majhi and Kailash Chandra Kulesika — Friday met the Speaker and submitted their resignation from the House committee on Polavaram accusing the BJD of playing petty politics.
Two BJP members have also decided to boycott the House committee meetings, said sources.
Bahinipati said though all parties had during the committee meeting decided to launch a protest against the Polavaram project and submit a memorandum to Modi, the BJD stalled House proceedings over the issue and also submitted a memorandum to the Governor separately.
However, Amar Satpathy said clarified that as BJD members not the House committee had submitted a memorandum to the Governor, it had no link with Thursday’s decision at the House panel meet. PTI
