Odisha Assembly Adjourned Over Delay In Appointment Of Lokayukta

Bhubaneswar: The demand for appointment of Lokayukta raised by the Opposition Congress in the Odisha Assembly on Monday which had forced the Speaker Pradip Amat to adjourn the House twice, cropped up again on Tuesday with the Speaker having no other option than to adjourn the House twice .

As soon as the question hour session began in the Assembly, the Congress members led by the Leader of the Opposition Narasingh Mishra and Opposition Chief Whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati rushed to the well of the House and staged dharna while reiterating their demand for immediate appointment of Lokayukta.

Unable to run the House, the Speaker adjourned the House till 11.30 am.

The uproarious scene continued again during zero hour when the BJP members led by the leader of the legislature party KV Singhdeo rushed to the well of the House and staged dharna under the Speaker’s podium demanding immediate implementation of Lokayukta Act.

Supporting them, the Congress members stood up and demanded the same. Amid the pandemonium, the Speaker adjourned the House till 3 pm.

Congress legislators on Monday had raised the issue with Opposition leader Narasingha Mishra seeking a clarification from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik during the Zero Hour.

Apart from Congress, BJP members had also demanded the ruling of the chief minister on the Lokayukta appointment of Lokayukta.

The Opposition bench alleged that though the state government had passed the Lokayukta Bill in the Assembly four years back with the announcement by the chief minister that the Act would be implemented in six months, nothing has been done till date.

Taking a jibe at the state government, BJP member Pradip Purohit said even after four years of the passing of the Lokayukta Bill, the government has not taken any initiative till date as this would go against the bureaucrats and the ruling party leaders who are busy in the rampant loot of government.