Odisha Assembly adjourned over Mahanadi issue

The second phase of the budget session of Odisha Assembly began today amid uproar by the ruling BJD members over the Mahanadi river water issue leading to adjournment of the House.

Soon after the House began for the day, many treasury bench members were on their feet raising slogans against the Centre accusing it of conspiring to deprive Odisha of its share of the Mahanadi river water.

The House witnessed noisy scenes amid slogan-shouting by BJD lawmakers even as Co-Operation, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister, Surjya Narayan Patro was answering to a question.

Pleas by Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat to restore peace in the House went unheeded as BJD legislators continued to allege that the people of Odisha were betrayed by the BJP-led central government. They demanded concrete steps for functioning of the tribunal to resolve the Mahanadi river water issue between Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

As the uproar continued, the Speaker adjourned the House till 3 pm.

Later, BJD members staged a dharna near the Mahatma Gandhi statue inside the Assembly premises holding banners. They accused the Central government of being partial towards Chhattisgarh in the Mahanadi issue and claimed the river had dried up in Odisha because of a conspiracy.

Slamming the state government for stalling the proceedings, Congress leader Narasingha Mishra told reporters outside the House that the ruling party and the government had the responsibility to ensure smooth functioning of the Assembly. "If protector turns predator, whom shall we approach," he asked.

Senior BJP MLA Pradip Purohit said the state government was required to furnish all information to the Mahanadi river water tribunal. He attacked the ruling BJD for adopting disruptive method instead of discussing the issue in the House.