Bhubaneswar: The Monsoon Session of the Odisha Assembly was Monday adjourned sine die three days ahead of its schedule. This was done amid ruckus by Opposition members in the House over discussion on chit fund and farmers’ issues. The session was scheduled to continue till August 4.
The House witnessed pandemonium as Opposition legislators created noisy scenes protesting rejection of their notice for discussion on chit fund case, leading to adjournment of the House till 4.00pm. BJP members staged agitation as Speaker Bikram Keshari Arukha rejected the notice for a discussion on the admissibility of adjournment motion on chit fund scam on the ground that the matter was sub-judice in the High Court and was being investigated.
The Speaker cited an earlier ruling issued in the Assembly in 2014 following suggestions given by the advocate general that there will be no discussion in the House on chit fund case.
Irked over the rejection, the saffron party members raised slogans against the decision and proceeded to storm into the podium.
Similarly, Congress members who sought a discussion on ‘drought-like’ situation in Bolangir and its nearby areas, also created uproarious scenes. Facing protests from both the Opposition parties, the Speaker adjourned the House till 4 pm.
Opposition Chief Whip Mohan Majhi alleged discussion was not being allowed in the House simply to shield BJD legislators accused in chit fund case
During the Monsoon Session, Finance minister Niranjan Pujari presented a Rs 2 lakh crore full fledged budget for the 2022-23 fiscal as it could not happen in proper time due to urban and rural bodies elections in February and March. The House passed the Appropriation Bill, 2022, Saturday.
The House also passed seven Bills of the total eight presented in the Assembly. The CAG report was laid in the House by the Finance Minister on the last day while the Assembly unanimously passed a resolution thanking Droupadi Murmu for becoming the first from Odisha to occupy the topmost Constitutional post in the country.
During the 21 working days, the House witnessed uproar over Congress leader’s ‘Rastrapatni’ remark, issues relating to Lord Jagannath’s Ratna Bhandar (Treasury), unemployment, insurance for farmers, contractual appointment, diarrhoea in Rayagada district, demand to hike salary and pension of MLAs and above all the chit fund scam.