Not A Laughing Matter In Odisha: Cong Leader Takes To Cartoons To Slam ‘Mandi Irregularities’

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Assembly was adjourned again on Monday amid the pandemonium by the Opposition Congress and BJP members and the ruling members.

As soon as the session began, the Congress and BJP members rushed to the well of the House and urged Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro to cancel the question hour and order a discussion on the mandi issue.

At this, the ruling BJD members rushed to the well of the House demanding an unconditional apology from Deogarh BJP MLA Subash Panigrahi for threatening to commit suicide in the House.

Unable to run the House proceedings, the Speaker adjourned the House till 11.30 am and then till 4 pm as the pandemonium prevailed.

Talking to the media outside the Assembly, Congress whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati said that his party members had told the Speaker that they will not allow him to run the House until procurement of paddy in the state is completed.

The Jeypore MLA also protested on the Assembly premises with placards, showing the sufferings of the farmers who are not able to sell their paddy due to gross irregularities in the mandis (procurement centres),

He said that the Chief Minister is not bothered about the situation in the state where farmers are now committing suicide and an elected representative also tried to kill self in the Assembly to protest against the state government’s gross apathy towards the farmers.

He also requested the Speaker to immediately convene an all-party meeting to resolve the stalemate in the Assembly.