Odisha Assembly budget session likely to be stormy

The budget session of Odisha Assembly slated to begin on March 15 is likely to be stormy with both Congress and BJP ready to corner the BJD government over a host of issues.
The opposition parties are expected to raise issues like potato crisis, law and order situation, farmer suicides, alleged irregularities in distribution of ration cards under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and proposed hike in electricity tariff.
Congress is also likely to raise the issue relating to the recent arrest of former party legislator from Sanakhemundi, Ramesh Jena.
Both Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President Prasad Harichandan and leader of opposition Narasinha Mishra alleged that the arrest of Jena was aimed at deflecting public attention after alleged links between a double murder accused gangster brother duo and ruling BJD leaders came to fore.

The Naveen Patnaik government is trying to harass Congress leaders in a bid to mislead people in the wake of "Dhalasamanta brothers' recent arrest," Harichandan said after a meeting of the PCC executive committee.
Though BJD government had promised to give priority to agriculture and irrigation in view of alleged suicide by drought-hit farmers due to crop loss and debt burden, no concrete step was taken to mitigate the plight of farmers, Congress leaders said.

Congress demanded that the farmers be given a minimum support price (MSP) for paddy at Rs 2,500 per quintal and a bonus of Rs 300 per quintal, the PCC Chief said.

Hitting out at the Naveen Patnaik regime, BJP state unit President Basant Panda said his party would also take on the government on a number of issues confronting the people like potato crisis and deteriorating law and order situation.
The ruling BJD, on its part, is likely to target the NDA government at the Centre accusing it of slashing funds to the state, said senior party leader and minister Bikram Keshari Arukh.