Issue of cyclone assistance to make Assembly session stormy

Winter session of Odisha Assembly starting tomorrow is set to be stormy with ruling BJD gearing up to slam the Centre on issues like delay in cyclone assistance and opposition ready to corner the government over crime against women and worsening law and order.
BJD has decided to mount a scathing attack on the Congress-led UPA government, accusing it of neglecting Odisha by failing to release any assistance for rehabilitation and reconstruction work after cyclone Phailin and subsequent flood that hit the state last month.
"We will make it an issue that the Centre has not given a single rupee so far though the Prime Minister had announced an advance assistance of Rs 1,000 crore in view of damage caused by natural calamities," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik told reporters after a BJD legislature party meeting.

The Centre would also be targeted on price rise, devaluation of the rupee, denial of special category status status to Odisha and non-revision of mineral royalty, he said.
At the same time, the state government is prepared to face any issue the opposition political parties may raise on the floor of the Assembly, the chief minister said.
Main opposition Congress is all set to attack the government on several issues including deteriorating law and order situation and soaring crimes against women, particularly in the light of burning of a lady school teacher at Tikri in Rayagada district for refusing to withdraw a molestation case against her senior.

"There are a number of issues but we will focus on law and order and crimes and atrocities against women," Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh said.
Congress legislators would also raise issues relating to plight of farmers, industrial accidents and unemployment during the nearly month long session slated to end on December 26, Singh told reporters.
Similarly, BJP MLAs would corner the BJD government on issues like alleged loot of relief materials after last month's natural calamities, worsening law and order situation and crimes against women, BJP legislature party secretary Karendra Majhi told reporters.