Bhubaneswar: Odisha Assembly today experienced commotion over delay in appointment of a Lokayukta rocked for the second consecutive day today leading to repeated adjournments.
The members of the Congress and the BJP staged demonstration before the Speaker's podium, seeking an explanation from the government on the matter. The Opposition members also urged Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat to solicit a reply from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in this regard.
As soon as the House assembled for the Question Hour, the Congress members, led by the Leader of the Opposition Narasingh Mishra and Opposition Chief Whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati, rushed to the Well of the House, seeking clarification from the CM on the issue.
Unable to run the House, Speaker Amat adjourned the proceedings till 11.30 AM.
When the House reassembled for the Zero Hour, the BJP members led by senior leader KV Singh Deo staged demonstration near the Speaker's podium demanding immediate implementation of the Odisha Lokayukta Act.
Congress MLAs also joined the protests.
Amid the pandemonium, the Speaker adjourned the House for the second time till 4 PM and subsequently till tomorrow.
"This House had passed the Odisha Lokayukta Bill in 2014 and got the president's assent in 2015. However, the government has been delaying the appointment of a Lokayukta. As the members have passed the Bill, they need to be told what led to this delay," Mishra told reporters outside the House.
It is responsibility of the speaker and the government to break the deadlock, he said.
"The speaker should ask the Chief Minister to give a clarification on the delay," he added.
Taking a jibe at the BJD government, BJP MLA Pradip Purohit said "Four years have passed since the bill was passed, but the government has not taken any initiative till date. The implementation of the act would go against the bureaucrats and the ruling party leaders who are busy looting the government."
Downplaying the issue, treasury bench member and BJD spokesman DS Mishra said the opposition members are raising the issue in view of Anna Hazare's agitation in Delhi.