Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, August 29: The state Assembly passed two crucial bills on the concluding day of the monsoon session even as the Opposition was boycotting the proceedings for the third consecutive day, Saturday.
Speaker Niranjan Pujari adjourned the House for an indefinite period after the passage of two bills – Orissa Underground Pipelines, Cable and Duct (Acquisition of Rights of users in land) bill, 2015 and the Orissa Education (Amendment) bill, 2015.
The Pipelines and Duct bill provides for right of users to lay underground pipelines, cable and duct for carrying of water, sewage and industrial waste.
Likewise, the Education (Amendment) bill is a legislation to replace the existing Education Act 2009 which aims at removing the ineligibility of high schools to receive Grant-in-Aid.
When the House convened at 10.30am Congress and BJP members stuck to their boycott stand after which the question and zero hours were conducted in their absence.
As the adjournment motion could not be taken up in the absence of Opposition members, the Speaker adjourned the House till 3pm.
Meanwhile, the Congress members who were protesting at the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the Assembly premises, accused the government and Speaker of throttling the voice of Opposition in the House.
Congress and BJP members had boycotted the House proceedings Thursday and Friday respectively accusing the Speaker of bias and charged the government with passing bills including Land-grabbing (prohibition) bill 2015 and Orissa Police Bill 2015 with the help of ‘majority’ without Opposition.
When the house reconvened at 3pm, the drought situation in the state was taken up through a ‘Calling attention’ motion.
The two bills, listed for legislative business, were taken up for consideration before passage.
The 11-day monsoon session witnessed pandemonium and acrimonious scenes over various issues. The House altogether passed seven bills.
Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra (Cong) held the ruling BJD responsible for disruption of the proceedings and said, “Many issues of public importance couldn’t be discussed as the Opposition members were not allowed to raise crucial issues on the floor.’’