Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Assembly witnessed pandemonium Monday as opposition BJP members protested the rejection of their notice for a discussion on the governance style of the BJD dispensation.
BJD members also raised the issue of alleged non-maintenance of the national highway connecting Cuttack and Sambalpur.
The Speaker first adjourned the House for one hour till 11.30am, but as the ruckus continued, the House was adjourned till 4pm.
Even before the House assembled for Question Hour, BJP members were present in the well and raised slogans protesting the rejection of their notice.
BJD members were also on their feet, protesting the alleged non-maintenance of the national highway connecting Cuttack and Sambalpur.
Unable to run the House in view of the ruckus, Speaker Pramila Mallik adjourned the House for one hour till 11.30am.
As the House reassembled, the ruckus continued, prompting the Speaker to adjourn the House till 4pm.
Outside the House, Opposition Chief Whip Mohan Majhi said that the BJP’s notice for a discussion on the admissibility of an adjournment motion was rejected by the Speaker without giving any reasons.
“We wanted a discussion on whether a secretary is powerful or a minister. The democratic system has completely collapsed in the state,” Majhi told reporters.
He also cited instances of the assembly rejecting written questions of some BJP members who wanted to know the amount spent on tours of a secretary-level officer.
“The government is acting like an escapist,” Majhi alleged.
Congress member Taraprasad Bahinipati accused both the BJP and the BJD for adjournment of the House.
“They (BJD and BJP) are one and not different. They got the House adjourned to prevent a discussion on issues to be raised by Congress. The verbal duel between the two parties is just eyewash,” Bahinipati said.
BJD member Dipali Das said her party MLAs raised the issue of central negligence in repairing the national highway, which is the lifeline for the people of western Odisha.
She claimed that many lives were lost in accidents due to poor maintenance of the highway.
PTI
