New Delhi: Unlike the first week, the second week of the Winter Session of the Parliament saw less number of adjournments of daily business, and both Houses held proceedings amidst sloganeering by Opposition parties.
During the second week, concern related to law and order situation in Odisha was raised by BJP MP Suresh Pujari. He also sought a CBI probe into several high-profile cases in the state.
Pujari, while speaking on the High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill 2021, requested the Centre for setting up a permanent bench of Orissa High Court in Western Odisha. Senior BJD MP Pinaki Misra urged the Union government to proactively focus on filling up of almost 40 per cent vacancies in the High Courts.
BJD MP Pramila Bisoyi in the Lok Sabha urged the government to take steps for providing employment to women, who lost their jobs due to the pandemic.
The BJD MPs also submitted a memorandum to the Union Culture Ministry seeking first war of Independence tag to Paika Rebellion. The Centre, however, refused to give the status to Paika Rebellion.
BJD MP Chandra Sekhar Sahu urged the Union government to make modification in the sharing pattern under SDRF as 90:10. Citing the highest risk of natural calamities, the Berhampur MP requested the Centre to consider Odisha as a special category and a special focus state. Rajya Sabha MP Prashanta Nanda sought development of disaster resilient power infrastructure in coastal districts.
Significantly, the state MPs asked 157 starred and unstarred questions during the second week of the Winter Session. While the Lok Sabha MPs asked 96 questions, the members in the Upper House asked 61 questions. Rajya Sabha MP Sujeet Kumar asked the highest 15 questions in the second week followed by Rajya Sabha MP Amar Patnaik (14) and Lok Sabha MP Chandra Sekhar Sahu (13).