Bhubaneswar: The State Assembly was adjourned twice Friday during the pre-lunch session as the opposition BJP and the ruling BJD members created uproar over farmer suicide and Polavaram project.
As the House assembled for the question hour, the BJP MLAs rushed to the well of the House, asking the state government to acknowledge cases of farmer suicides in the state due to crop loss and loan burden.
The agitating BJP members shouted anti-government slogan and dubbed the BJD government as “anti-farmer”.
The MLAs claimed that 35 farmers have committed suicide during this kharif season allegedly due to drought, pest attack and unseasonal rains.
Unable to control the pandemonium, Speaker PK Amat adjourned the House till noon.
When the House reassembled, the ruling BJD members shouted anti-BJP slogans, accusing the Central government of supporting the Andhra Pradesh government, which allegedly violated law by raising the height of Indira Sagar Dam project, also known as the Polavaram project.
The ruckus prompted Amat to adjourn the House again for another 30 minutes.
When the House met thereafter, the speaker allowed a debate on the supplementary budget of home and general administration departments.
Outside Assembly, BJD MLA Sanjay Das Burma alleged that like in the case of Mahanadi, the Centre in an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court Thursday has stated that law has not been violated in Polavaram case.
“This is a fresh anti-Orissa stand of the Centre. Even if it is a fact that thousands of acres of forest land will go under water in tribal dominated Malkangiri district and over 6,800 tribals will be displaced, the Centre is busy protecting the interest of Andhra Pradesh in this row and has accorded a national project status to it at a time when the matter is sub judice,” Das Burma added.
In response, BJP MLA Pradip Purohit said, “It is the Orissa government which is responsible for this row. Neither it has assessed the quantum of loss to be borne by the state due this project nor has made any public hearing on the project in the areas to be affected by it.”
Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra of the Congress criticised the ruling BJD and the BJP for disrupting the proceedings of the House.
“Around 2.5 hours was wasted by the BJP and the BJD today. The BJP could have raised the issue of farmer suicide without disrupting the crucial question hour. The BJD MLAs, too, could have made their point without creating a ruckus in the House,” Mishra added.
Congress chief whip Taraparasad Bahinipati, on the other hand, blasted BJP and BJD for deliberately stalling the proceedings of the house. “Almost 90 per cent work of the controversial project has been completed. What is the point in stalling the proceedings of the house now?” he asked.
PNN
