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Bhubaneswar, Feb 5: The Assembly witnessed a stormy scenes on the first day of the Budget session Friday, amid a walkout by opposition party members.
As soon as Governor SC Jamir started delivering his address, leader of Opposition Narshingha Mishra rose to make a statement opposing Jamir’s speech that highlighted the state government’s achievements, after which Congress members staged a walkout.
Immediately thereafter, the BJP members also staged a walkout in protest against the Governor’s speech.
“Despite our repeated complaints, the address of the Governor didn’t highlight the sensitive issues of the state (chit fund scam and others). Besides, the Governor did not mention anything related to land scam, mining scam, water scam and other issues related to farmers,” Mishra said.
“The facts presented in the Governor’s address contradict the real situation. While infant and maternal mortality in the state has gone up, healthcare services are in shambles, distress selling of paddy is rampant as government has failed to procure adequate quantity of paddy from farmers,” said BJP legislature party leader Basant Kumar Panda.
The Governor, however, continued his address amid the hue and cry in the presence of Speaker Niranjan Pujari, Chief Minister and leader of the House Naveen Patnaik and other members of the ruling party.
The state has made appreciable progress in achieving economic growth and poverty alleviation, Jamir said. “The state has recorded a 6.84 per cent per annum growth rate in the last two years during which the state has recorded poverty reduction of 24.67 percent,” he said.
On the Nabakalebara festival, Jamir said, “As the state government is expecting a congregation of millions of devotees, it has put in place a well thought out strategy coupled with concrete action. Safe drinking water, sanitation and expansion of power grid stations for uninterrupted power supply are the areas of importance to be focused,” he said.
The Governor claimed that Left Wing Extremism has substantially reduced in the state and said skill improvement of SOG and Special Intelligence Wing and creation of four special battalions for security are among measures planned to enhance internal security.
Congress and BJP members entered the House After the Governor completed his speech, following which the Chief Minister moved a condolence motion on former governor of Orissa Rameshwar Thakur, former minister Bhupal Chandra Mohapatra, former MLA Tarini Charan Patnaik and ex-constable of 223 battalion of CRPF Padmalochan Majhi.
Later the house was adjourned for the day.
See P- 5