Bhubaneswar: Odisha Assembly Friday witnessed an uproarious scene during zero hours over the appointment of retired officers in the Chief Minister’s office.
The BJP members rushed to the well of the house and launched a vociferous attack on the government over the issue. The Treasury bench members countered the attack of the BJP members standing on their seats.
The Congress members at this stage also stormed into the well urging the Speaker to give a ruling directing the government to make a statement in the house on the collapse of an under-construction bridge on River Gobari in Kendrapara district.
As the house witnessed ruckus, Speaker Bikram Keshari Arukha first adjourned it for ten minutes and again for another five minutes. He convened an all-party meeting to resolve the issue.
However, the business of the house functioned normally after the issue was resolved in the all-party meeting.
The problem began when Leader of Opposition (LoP) Jayanarayan Mishra, raising a question during the zero hours, alleged that several officers after their retirement were given reappointment at the Chief Minister’s office which he said has become a retired officers’ club.
Mishra said instead of making new recruitments, the government is appointing retired officers and demanded a statement from the government in the house on the issue.
Strongly reacting to the statement made by the leader of Opposition, treasury bench member Arun Sahoo said he wanted to know how many retired officers have been appointed at the office of Prime Minister, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and at other offices in the South block.
UNI