Budget session of Odisha Assembly likely to begin on heated note

Bhubaneswar: The Budget session of the Odisha Assembly starting tomorrow is likely to be a stormy one as the BJP and Congress are all set to corner the ruling BJD.

The main Opposition party Congress and the BJP today held their legislature party meetings to chalk out strategies to target the Naveen government.

While the BJP has decided to raise issues like farmer suicides, input subsidy and deteriorating law and order among others, the Congress has braced itself to target the government on acute shortage of drinking water, large-scale vacancies in teaching posts, rising violence against women and anti-farmer policies of the government.

"The deteriorating law and order situation in the State, lack of proper health services in rural areas, neglect of farmers and several other issues will be raised during the session," said BJP's Odisha unit president Basant Panda.

The BJD on the other hand said that it is also ready with the issues that it will raise on the floor of the house.

"BJD will raise issues pertaining to special category state status, Mahanadi tribunal and Polavaram project. The government is also ready to discuss the topics that will be brought up by the Opposition," said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

The Budget session of the Odisha Assembly will commence on March 20 and continue till May 5 in two phases.

Finance Minister Shashi Bhusan Behera will present the annual state budget for the year 2018-19 on March 23.