Odisha Assembly Adjourned Over Crop Insurance, Unemployment Issues

Photograph: Ashok Panda

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Assembly was adjourned on Tuesday following uproar by the Opposition BJP and Congress members over drought relief to the affected farmers and unemployment issues.

As soon as the question hour began, the BJP members demanded adjournment motion and urged Speaker Pradip Amat to give his ruling for a discussion on crop insurance for the drought-hit farmers. Besides, the leader of the Opposition and Congress member Narasingha Mishra also demanded adjournment motion for discussion on unemployment issues.

When the Speaker rejected the demands of the Opposition members, the latter rushed to the well and shouted slogans against the government. Following which, the Speaker adjourned the House till 11.30 am.

As the uproar continued to prevail at 11.30 am, the Speaker adjourned the House till 12 pm and convened an all-party meet to resolve the issue.

Talking to mediapersons, leader of the Opposition said while there are thousands of unemployed youths in Odisha, the state government has neither taken any steps for their employment nor has created any opportunities for them. “We had served an adjournment motion notice to the Speaker and requested him to initiate a discussion on this issue in the House. But he rejected it,” he pointed out.

Talking about the demands of the BJP members for a discussion on crop insurance for drought-hit farmers, Mishra said the state government is yet to provide the same to these affected farmers.

Government chief whip Amar Prasad Satpathy said there is scope for the Opposition members for a discussion on these issues in the House. He, however, said these issues have already been discussed a number of times.