Odisha Assembly adjourned till 4 pm amid opposition uproar over paddy procurement

The second day of the Budget Session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly on Wednesday was marked by intense disruptions, forcing the House to be adjourned till 4 pm after Opposition members staged a protest over alleged irregularities in paddy procurement.

Soon after the Assembly convened, members of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Congress raised slogans against the government, accusing it of large-scale mismanagement in paddy mandis across the state. The protesting legislators rushed to the Well of the House, holding bundles of paddy to symbolically highlight farmers’ grievances.

Senior BJD leader Romanch Ranjan Biswal drew attention by entering the Assembly carrying a bundle of paddy on his head. In a dramatic gesture, Opposition members also placed paddy on the reporters’ table, intensifying their protest and demanding immediate intervention to address procurement delays and alleged irregularities affecting farmers.

Despite repeated appeals by Speaker Surama Padhy to maintain order and allow proceedings to continue, the sloganeering and commotion persisted. With the House unable to conduct any scheduled business, the Speaker adjourned the session till 11:30 am.

Later, when the business resumed at 11.30 am, the Opposition created ruckus forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House till 4 pm.

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As per the listed agenda, discussion on the motion of thanks to the Governor’s Budget address was scheduled to begin on Wednesday and continue the following day. However, repeated disruptions have cast uncertainty over the smooth functioning of the remaining proceedings of the Budget Session.