Bhubaneswar: The logjam in the Odisha Assembly continued on the fifth day of the monsoon session on Tuesday due to a huge ruckus by opposition BJD over alleged “systematic curtailment” of powers of elected representatives under the Panchayati Raj system.
As soon as the the proceedings began, the BJD legislators trooped into the well, and staged a noisy protest, shouting anti-government slogans in front of the Speaker’s podium
Congress MLAs stood at their respective seats, holding placards calling the opposition BJD and ruling BJP as brothers, who would not let the House to function.
Amid the uproarious scenes, Speaker Surama Padhy tried to continue with the Question Hour. Ministers Rabi Narayan Naik (Panchayati Raj) and Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia (Forest, Environment & Climate Change) answered questions from some members, but the bedlam continued unabated.
The Speaker’s appeal to the members to maintain discipline and cooperate for smooth proceedings also went unheard, forcing her to adjourn the House till 4 pm after about 20 minutes of Question Hour.
This came a day after the Speaker rejected the notice for no-confidence motion against the state government brought by the Congress due to continuous disruptions in the House. The Congress MLAs had then shouted slogans like ‘BJD-BJP Bhai Bhai’ in the well of the House before staging a walkout.
BJD Workers Clash With Police During Attempt To Gherao Odisha Assembly
Meanwhile, BJD leaders scuffled with police during an attempt to gherao the Assembly, alleging that the powers of Panchayat representatives were being curtailed. Tension ran high at the Lower PMG here as the party workers broke barricades and headed towards the Assembly. Water cannons were used by security forces to disperse the agitators, including sarpanchs, ward members, committee members, Zilla Parishad members, block chairpersons, and district council chiefs, who demanded the strengthening of local governance.
Senior BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra criticised the Mohan Majhi government for deliberately undermining the three-tier Panchayati Raj Institutions by limiting the powers of elected grassroots representatives. He further claimed that budget cuts to key social welfare programs, such as Jal Jeevan Mission, PM Awas Yojana, and Antyodaya Awas Yojana, were hampering rural development efforts.
Defending the government, BJP legislator Irashish Acharya clarified that around 40% of Public Service Commission-related administrative matters have been restricted, affecting contractors and BJD loyalists. He added that the government has strengthened the Panchayati Raj system through initiatives like Bikashita Gaon, Bikashita Odisha programme, ensuring active participation of local representatives actively in village assemblies and development activities.
