Budget session of Odisha Assembly likely to be stormy

Bhubaneswar: The budget session of Odisha Assembly beginning tomorrow is most likely to be stormy.

Though the Opposition Congress and BJP have formulated strategies to corner the government on a host of major issues, their common agenda will be the gross irregularities by the ruling BJD in the Panchayat polls which concluded today.

“There has been gross misuse of government machinery in the Panchayat polls this year in which the government staffs have been used as the agents of the ruling BJD. Apart from this, huge expenditure has been made by the ruling party to win the elections,” leader of the Opposition Narasingh Mishra said.

State BJP president Basant Panda said his party would raise the issue relating to the violence perpetrated by the BJD in the panchayat polls. “Apart from this, our party would also raise farmers’ issues, distress sale of paddy, irregularities in mandis, ration card irregularities, dearth of teachers in schools and vacant post of doctors in rural areas of the state,” he added.

Senior BJD leader and Parliamentary Affairs minister Bikram Keshari Arukh said the state government is always ready to discuss the issues raised by the Opposition relating to the interest of the people of the state. “On behalf of the ruling party, we will also raise major issues concerning Odisha such as Mahanadi, Polavaram and KBK for discussion in the House,” he added.

As per the notification issued by the Assembly secretariat, the budget session will have two phases.

Governor SC Jamir will address the Assembly on the first day and discussion on budget to be held between February 23 and 25, the notification said.

On February 27, Finance minister Pradip Amat will present the budget for financial year 2017-18. The first phase session will continue till March 4.

The second phase will begin from March 14 and continue till April 7, the notification added.