Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Assembly Thursday witnessed repeated disruptions and was adjourned till 4 pm amid protests by BJD and Congress members over alleged scarcity of cooking gas and black marketing of LPG cylinders.
The issue was raised soon after the House assembled for Question Hour at 10.30 am.
Congress members trooped into the well of the House, shouting slogans and holding placards demanding the rollback of the recent hike in the price of LPG cylinders. They raised slogans near the Speaker’s podium, disrupting proceedings.
BJD members also supported the issue raised by the Congress and protested the alleged black marketing of cooking gas from their seats.
Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik was present in the House when his party members raised anti-government slogans.
Speaker Surama Padhy urged the members to return to their seats and cooperate in conducting the Question Hour. As the opposition members ignored her appeal, she first adjourned the proceedings till 11.30 am.
When the House reassembled, similar scenes were witnessed, forcing Padhy to adjourn the proceedings till 12.10 pm and later till 4 pm.
The opposition members accused the BJP government of failing to streamline gas supply and check black marketing of LPG cylinders.
Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallik claimed that a 14 kg LPG cylinder was being sold at over Rs 1,500 in the market as the government failed to ensure proper distribution of the cooking gas.
BJP legislator Irasis Acharya criticised the opposition, alleging that instructions to disrupt the Assembly had come from Delhi.
He condemned the disruption of proceedings and questioned the motives of Congress legislators, accusing the BJD of backing them.
Another BJP MLA, Ashok Mohanty, also attacked the opposition, stating that there was no shortage of LPG in Odisha.
The opposition members also raised slogans demanding the safety of Odia people trapped in the Gulf nations because of the conflict.
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