Pandemonium in Odisha Assembly stalls House proceedings for third consecutive day

The opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress MLAs created a ruckus in the Odisha Assembly on Saturday demanding a special discussion on the farmer's issue, prompting the Speaker to adjourn the House till noon.

The opposition members trooped to the well of the House even before Speaker Surama Padhy took her seat and raised slogans against the BJP government in the state.

While most of the BJD and Congress MLAs were in the well of the House, Congress member Taraprasad Bahinipati was seen shouting slogans standing on a chair near the Speaker’s podium.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik were present in the House when the BJD and Congress members were agitating in the well of the House.

As the Speaker's repeated appeal to agitating members to return to their seats went in vain, she adjourned the proceeding till noon.

The Opposition BJD demanded a special discussion on the farmers issue after suspending all the business in the House. This is for the second consecutive day that the opposition raised the same issue. They also raised slogans on the alleged worsening of law and order situation in the state.

Senior BJD MLA Arun Kumar Sahoo outside the House, alleged that the government was not in a mood to listen about the plight of farmers. "They are not accepting the BJD's notice for a special discussion on farmers," Sahoo said while his colleague Goutam Bhddha Das said that the BJD lawmakers will soon march to Raj Bhavan and submit a memorandum to the Governor over the farmer's issue.

After the adjournment of the House, the BJD members marched to Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum to Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati on the farmers' issues.

"There is nothing more important than the farmers' plight. The farmers are not being given proper compensation for the crop loss due to the unseasonal rain in December last year. As many as 14 farmers died due to crop loss, some of them due to cardiac arrest. The farmers collapsed on their paddy fields and died, but the government has not given a single rupee as compensation to the next of kin," BJP deputy leader in assembly Prasanna Acharya said.

In the memorandum also signed by BJD president Naveen Patnaik, the regional party sought the governor's interference in alleviating the sufferings of farmers.

"The people of Odisha are resilient, but they need the support of the government to restore their confidence and provide them with the means to rebuild their lives," the BJD said in the memorandum.

By PTI