Bhubaneswar: The Budget Session (last session) of 15th Odisha Legislative Assembly adjourned sine die Friday two days ahead of schedule. The session began February 4 and was scheduled to continue till February 12.
On the last day, the Appropriation Bill for Vote on Account of `56,921 crore to meet the expenditure of government till July of new financial year was tabled and passed.
Speaking on this occasion, Finance Minister Sashi Bhusan Behera highlighted provisions made under various heads and implementation of welfare schemes including KALIA, Madhubabu Pension Yojna, Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana and Mission Shakti.
Behera also announced that a provision of `5 crore has been made in the Interim Budget for development of infrastructure required for functioning of the High Court benches in western and southern Odisha. The fund will be sanctioned once the Centre approves constitution of the benches, he said. Stalemate continued in the Assembly on Friday too, but was resolved later following an all-party meeting conveyed by the Speaker PK Amat.
Like other days, the House assembled at 10.30 am but could not take up any business due to agitation by the Opposition members. Problem began right at the beginning when the House assembled to take up the Question Hour and the Speaker asked Sports and Youth Affairs Minister to reply to a question.
The Opposition members rushed to the well, shouted slogans and disrupted the proceedings demanding a discussion on the farmers’ issue, employment and sexual assaults on minor girls in the state. Soon, the treasury bench members were seen standing on their seats and protesting against the negligence of the Central government towards the state and Centre’s failure to create employment opportunities in the state. As the pandemonium continued, the Speaker adjourned the House for an hour at 10.31am. Meanwhile, the ruling party members marched to the Governor House to present a memorandum addressed to the President on failure of Centre in providing employment to youths of this state.
When the house reassembled at 11.30 am, the Speaker called an all-party meeting to resolve the impasse and adjourned the House again till 12 pm. He extended it by 10 minutes twice.
However, the deadlock was over and the House functioned normally from 12.20 pm after the members agreed at an all-party meeting will be convened by the Speaker to conduct the business of the House smoothly. Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra told reporters that the Congress had urged the Speaker to initiate discussion on unemployment and farmers’ issues.
“The government did not allow discussion on the farmers’ issue. Had the government been keen on listening to the grievances of the farmers, there would have been no stalemate in the Assembly,” Mishra said. BJP members also raised slogans accusing the state government of failing to provide jobs to youths and alleged police brutality on anti-liquor activists. BJP legislator Pradip Purohit said, “By blaming the Centre, BJD is trying to save itself but people of Odisha are aware about it.”
“The BJP had promised to provide jobs to 2 crore youths each year. How many youths from Odisha have got employment in Central organizations,”said BJD MLA Sanjay Das Burma.
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