Bhubaneswar: The Monsoon session of Odisha Assembly is scheduled to commence from September 18, according to a provisional calendar issued by the state legislative assembly secretariat.
The week-long session will continue up to September 25 with one one-day break September 21 as it is a Sunday.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling said there will be six official business day, one private members’ day and one no-meeting day between September 18 to 25.
“The government is prepared to face the opposition and their issues. Many state interest matters will be discussed in the state,” the minister said.
The session is likely to be stormy in the backdrop of immolation deaths of women and girls, including one at Balasore, Bargarh, Kendrapara and Balanga in Puri district.
The opposition Congress has also proposed to bring a no-confidence motion against the 14-month-old Mohan Charan Majhi’s government in the wake of the rise in crimes against women.
Though the principal opposition party – the BJD has not yet supported the Congress proposal, the party also demanded a judicial inquiry into the sensational immolation deaths of women in the state, including the gang rape of a woman college student at Gopalpur in Ganjam district.
Both the opposition parties have raised question on the role of police in all self-immolation cases.
BJD chief whip Pramila Mallik said the regional party will raise issues such as women’s harassment, student self-immolation incidents, and farmers’ problems during the session.
“As the main opposition party, the BJD would also seek the government’s statement on its so-called achievement in the last 14 months,” she said.
Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati said the government agreed to convene the Assembly session after the situation created over a series of woman-burning cases calmed down. Congress will also raise issues relating to ‘vote theft’ during the session, he said.
PTI