Odisha Assembly adjourned till 4 pm as BJD protests over Panchayati Raj powers

The Odisha Legislative Assembly faced a brief but intense disruption on Monday as the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) legislators staged a vocal protest over the alleged curtailment of powers of local representatives under the Panchayati Raj system.

The commotion erupted during the start of question hour, prompting the Speaker to adjourn the House till 4 pm. This marked the fourth consecutive day of adjournment for the Odisha Assembly since the start of the monsoon session on Thursday.

Notably, the House was in session for only seven minutes before being adjourned.

Uproar At The Podium

According to reports, from the very beginning of the question hour, BJD legislators raised slogans beneath the Speaker’s podium, highlighting their concerns about the shrinking authority of Zilla Parishads, Panchayat Samitis, and Gram Panchayat representatives.

Lawmakers alleged that the Odisha government’s recent actions were undermining grassroots governance and decentralisation.

Meanwhile, Congress legislators expressed their dissent from their seats, staging protests and displaying posters to highlight administrative and procedural grievances. The 14 members of the Congress also voiced their concerns regarding a no-confidence motion that they had raised against the government earlier last week.

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Pending Agenda

If the House resumes normal proceedings, questions relating to the departments of home, health, finance, general administration, electronics, and information technology are expected to be addressed.

The BJD has reiterated its commitment to highlighting the need to restore full powers to local elected bodies, while Congress continues to raise procedural issues and demand accountability.

“We demand that the state government cancel its order regarding the Panchayati Raj powers. It is a blatant misuse of power and, as loyal representatives of the people, we cannot allow this to go unchecked,” said Pramila Mallik, BJD chief whip.