Bhubaneswar: With the winter session of the state Assembly commencing from Tuesday, Opposition BJP, Congress and the ruling BJD fine-tuned their strategy as to how to take on each other on the floor of the House.
With all the three parties keeping the farmers’ issue on the top of their agenda which would be raked up on the floor of the House, they have also equipped themselves with several other issues to give a tough fight to their political rivals during the month long session.
“Though famers’ issue is a serious one, this alone is not enough. There are equally other important issues as well that need to be raised properly to ensure that the state government takes required measures and initiates prompt action,” said a BJP leader.
The saffron party which held its legislature party meeting at the party headquarters here said that apart from farmers’ issue it will also raise the issue of spiraling prices of essential kitchen items such as potatoes, onions, edible oil, eggs as well as vegetables as they alleged that the state government had failed to contain prices of these commodities in the retail market.
The BJP will also highlight the plight of Shikya Sahayaks, Ayush doctors, Asha karmis, Anganwadi workers and other contractual workers and employees with the demand that their services be regularised and a hike be given in their wages.
BJP state unit president Basant Panda said that they will also raise the issue of the `60,000 crore mining scam in the state during the winter session of the Assembly.
“While the apex court asked the state government to collect 100 per cent penalty from errant mining firms, on which basis did the state government calculate the amount to be `17,000crore?” asked Panda.
Opposition Congress in its legislature party meeting has also decided to raise several other issues to corner the ruling BJD and BJP The party will raise the deteriorating law and order situation in the state while highlighting the alleged gang rape of a minor girl in Kunduli and rape of a minor girl in Kendrapara.
It will also raise the Mahanadi issue and “poor” health infrastructure in the state.
Meanwhile, the ruling BJD, at its legislature party meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, decided to raise the issue of Mahanadi and Polavaram, along with the farmers’ issue during the session.
The Chief Minister said that his party is ready to debate and deliberate on any issue concerned with the public during the session, if raised by the Opposition parties.
BJD chief whip Amar Satpathy informed that the BJD will also highlight the Central “apathy’’ towards Orissa.
Sudarsan Maharana, OP
