Bhubaneswar: Curtailment of the winter session of Odisha Assembly has sparked off a furore, with the Opposition BJP and Congress accusing the ruling BJD of avoiding the legislature and debate on key topics.
“The Speaker announced sine die closure of the Winter Session in the most undemocratic and unconstitutional manner under pressure from the ruling party, which wants to avoid discussion on important issues,” BJP legislator Bishnu Charan Sethy told a media conference here on Friday.
The Congress also slammed the state government, saying it was “killing democracy”. “The Winter Session had only 13 sitting days. It was supposed to continue till December 19. Did the Speaker not know that there was inadequate legislative business to continue the session when he decided on the end date?” asked Congress Taraprasad Bahinipati.
The Odisha Assembly should mandatorily sit for a minimum of 60 days in a calendar year, but it is not doing so at alarming frequency. In 2019, it sat for 50 days spanning three sessions of the 15th and 16th Assembly.
The Opposition attack came a day after Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro adjourned the Winter Session sine die 21 days ahead of schedule. Consequently, the Opposition got on the attacking mode saying it could not take up a host of issues concerning the state and the public.
Government chief whip Pramilla Mallick, however, defended the Speaker’s decision. “There was not much legislative business, hence the House was closed sine die. It was done in accordance with the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in OLA. Where is the illegality? There is nothing undemocratic when the rule has been followed,” she said.
Balangir: A labourer died after being electrocuted while cutting a tree at Dunguripada in Odisha’s…
New Delhi: A day after she said that women complained to her saying that they…
New Delhi: An investigation has been ordered into the roof collapse at Delhi airport’s Terminal…
New Delhi: The National Testing Agency on Friday announced the new dates for the University…
Bhubaneswar: Two senior IAS officers of Odisha cadre – Anu Garg and Chandra Sekhar Kumar…
Balasore: One person was killed and another critically injured after their bike fell into a…
Dum hai to cross kar, nahi to bardasht kar. (Overtake if you have the guts,…
Bhubaneswar: In order to promote awareness about wildlife and bio-diversity among school students, Odisha government…