Odisha assembly adjourned sine dine

Amidst pandemonium over opposition Congress' demand for resignation of the state revenue minister Surya Narayan Patro, the Speaker today adjourned the assembly indefinitely, ten days before the schedule date for the end of current winter session.

The winter session, which started on November 28, was scheduled to conclude on December 26.

The assembly proceedings were repeatedly disrupted during the last three days with Congress members clamouring for the head of Patro for his alleged false statement on Central assistance to the state for relief and rehabilitation work post cyclone Phailin and floods two months back.

Accusing the Opposition of unruly behaviour and not allowing the House to function normally, the government Chief Whip, Pravat Tripathy today moved a motion to adjourn the assembly sine die.

Though Speaker Pradeep Amat tried his best to pacify the opposition legislators, who trooped into the well of the House this morning and tried to intrude onto the Speaker's dais repeatedly, the Congress legislators refused to budge from their stand.

"Undemocratic and childish behaviour of the Congress MLAs prompted me to bring such a resolution for the dignity of the assembly", said the Chief Whip.

After sitting on a dharna in front of the Gandhi statue in the assembly premises for a while, the Congress MLAs with anti-government banners and slogans marched to Raj Bhawan to meet the Governor and convey him their sense of outrage over the undemocratic and sudden move by the ruling party to end the winter session before the scheduled time.

"We have brought a no confidence motion against the ruling party. Unable to face the Opposition, the BJD has cut short the session by bringing such a motion hastily", said Prasad Harichandan, Congress Chief Whip.

The 14th session of the fourteenth assembly witnessed 12 sitting days devoted for official business and three days devoted for private members business.

Seven official bills were introduced in the session and only four bills including the appropriation bill was passed.In an unprecedented move, the Speaker suspended the Congress MLA, Debi Prasad Chand for a day for snapping his microphone.

It may be noted that ruckus in the assembly started after Patro, in the course of discussions in the assembly on Wednesday, had informed that the Centre had paid only Rs 250 crore of the Rs 1000 crore cyclone assistance promised by the prime minister.

However, the Congress members presented documents in the House to prove that the Centre has already paid the committed amount to the state for post Phailin reconstruction activity.

After the exposure, the minister was forced to amend his statement in the assembly.