Winter session of Odisha Assly opens on noisy note

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Dec 1:

Amid ruckus and walkout by the Opposition over the demand for a debate on the unabated farmer suicides in the state, Speaker Niranjan Pujari on the opening day of the winter session of the Odisha Assembly adjourned it for the day till 10.30 AM tomorrow.

With Speaker disallowing a debate on farmer suicides after the House resumed in the afternoon at 3 PM, opposition Congress and BJP members staged a walkout in protest.

Soon after the Opposition’s walkout Finance Minister Pradip Kumar Amat tabled the Supplementary Budget for the year 2015-16 in the House. Following which the Speaker adjourned the House for the day to reassemble at 10.30 AM tomorrow.

The winter session of the Assembly began with the traditional practice of presentation of a guard of honour to the Speaker before commencement of the Assembly.

Soon after the members assembled for the day, the House adopted a motion condoling deaths of four former members of the Assembly -Chandrasekhar Pradhan, Rabindra Kumar Das, Rajkishore Pradhan and Bidhubhusan Praharaj.

Members of the Congress and BJP condoled death of farmers in the state and expressed their sympathies to the bereaved families.

Later, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Narasingh Mishra requested the Speaker to cancel the Question Hour and allow the House to debate on the sensitive issue of farmer deaths in the state.

Pandemonium broke out after the Speaker rejected Mishra’s demand for a debate on farmer suicides.

Following rejection of the LoP’s demand, Congress members rushed into the well of the House leading to noisy scenes.

Unable to run the House, Speaker Niranjan Pujari had adjourned the House till 3 PM.

Meanwhile, in the afternoon the Speaker convened the business advisory committee wherein it has been decided to hold debate on drought situation and farmer deaths in the state.

“The business advisory committee of the Odisha Legislative Assembly met this afternoon and the government has conceded to our demand of discussion on drought situation and farmer deaths in the state,” informed Narasingha Mishra.