Chaos in Odisha Assembly over MSP, adjourned till 3 pm

BJD legislators today created a ruckus in the Odisha Assembly, shouting slogans in support for a hike in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of paddy, following which the House was adjourned till 3 pm.
As soon as the House assembled on the second day of monsoon session, BJD legislators stood up, shouting slogans in support of their demand.
Unable to conduct business due to the chaos, Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat adjourned the House till 3 pm.
Thereafter, a delegation of the BJD went to the Raj Bhavan to submit a memorandum to the Governor, addressed to the President, listing their demands.

Attacking the BJP-led government at the Centre on the MSP issue, senior BJD leaders, including Debi Prasad Mishra, told reporters outside the House that the party was also in favour of special category state status to Odisha.
The party leaders lashed out at the Central government over a water dispute connected to river Mahanadi between Odisha and Chhattisgarh, seeking early resolution.

Flow of the river water into Odisha was severely affected, due to construction of barrages and dams in the upper reaches of Mahanadi by Chhattisgarh, they said.
Regretting adjournment of the House, Leader of Opposition Narasimha Mishra said that discussion on an adjournment motion on a farmers' problem moved by Congress could not be taken up because of the disruption.

A debate on the issue would have put both the ruling BJD in the state and the BJP in an awkward position, he said.