Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Sept 19: The state assembly’s monsoon session is set to commence on a stormy note from September 21 as the ruling and opposition parties are in a combative mode over several issues.
The ongoing Mahanadi water dispute of Orissa with Chhattisgarh along with Centre’s move to fully fund the controversial Polavaram project are likely to be in the limelight as the ruling Biju Janata Dal and opposition Congress and BJP finalise their strategies.
“Failure of bilateral talks at Delhi amounts to the state government and chief minister’s failure,” said Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Narasingha Mishra (Congress).
“We will certainly raise this issue during the session and demand that the government take a serious note of suggestions made during all-party meeting August 3. They should approach the Centre and move the Supreme Court for formation of a tribunal to settle the dispute,” said Mishra.
Accusing the government of failing to protect the state’s interest, he claimed BJD is playing ‘petty politics’ over it.
“We will strongly protest,” he said while adding that Congress will also raise issues related to farmers, poor healthcare and deteriorating education facilities.
Echoing the Congress, BJP state unit president Basant Panda held the BJD government responsible for the Mahanadi dispute. “Government which had previously told the assembly that it was aware of projects taken up by Chhattisgarh on Mahanadi, failed to react on time,” Panda said.
Alleging gross mismanagement of state’s water resources, the saffron party chief, who is also a MLA said, “We will demand a white paper by the government on state’s water resources.”
Both Congress and BJP are also gearing up to corner the treasury bench over the Dana Majhi episode, malnutrition deaths at Nagada, shortage of doctors, killing of five civilians in Kandhamal Maoist encounter, dearth of teachers, farmers’ plight and other burning issues.
While the BJP has already finalised its strategy in its legislature party (LP) meeting September 16, Congress MLAs will meet Tuesday evening to fine tune their plans.
Countering the opposition, the BJD which will also hold its LP meeting Tuesday evening, said that when it comes to Mahanadi issue, both Congress and BJP are on the defensive and will face a tough time in the house.
“It is the Congress and BJP governments which have helped Chhattisgarh build Mahanadi projects unilaterally. We will strongly raise this issue,” said BJD spokesperson Amar Satpathy.
“We will also raise the issue of Polavaram strongly, demanding withdrawal of Centre’s decision to grant full aid to the project even as Supreme Court is hearing the issue,” he said.
Satpathy said that his party is fully prepared to face the opposition. He asked them to cooperate with the government for the smooth conduct of the proceedings.
