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Contrary to the people’s expectations, the MLAs in the Odisha assembly, during the Budget session of 2012, had asked only 16 percent questions relating to the theme against 84 percent questions asked on non-budget issues, says a study.
“An Analysis of Odisha State Budget Session” was released today by Odisha Social Watch, the state coalition partner of National Social Watch (NSW).
The report is a compilation of information collected from secondary sources through review of data from documents like the history of Odisha Legislative Assembly, rules of procedures and conduct of business in Odisha Legislative Assembly (OLA), acts and rules pertaining to the salary of MLA, Assembly bulletins, details of profile of MLA, procedure of raising questions, starred and un-starred questions during the budget session 2012, etc.
The analysis says that 3613 questions were raised during the 29 day budget session. The questions asked during this key session of the14th assembly, that started on February 21, 2012 and ended on April 7, 2012 included 840 starred and 2773 un-starred questions. The study analysed a total of 3323 questions ( 835 starred and 2488 un-starred ).
It was found that only five per cent of the questions were raised on major flagship programmes, farmers' issues and PDS during the session.
The study further revealed that revenue and disaster management department got the top priority with 277 questions followed by health and family welfare (215 questions), school and mass education ( with 211 questions). The three departments at the bottom were parliamentary affairs (seven questions) followed by public grievance and pension (11 questions) and textile and handloom department (16 questions).
Interestingly, opposition parties BJP, Congress and Independent MLAs were more active in raising questions compared to the members of the treasury benches. The 147 member assembly had 104 ruling BJD MLAs followed by Congress (27 MLAs), BJP (6), Independent legislators (5) and four MLAs from Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). NCP MLAs later joined BJD.
The state had spent Rs 75,876 per MLA for 29 day budget session of 2012 whereas 47 MLAs did not participate at all in the question hour. Similarly, the state government spent Rs 3352 per question, Rs 2577 per MLA per day and Rs 1.11 crore towards the perks of 147 legislators for the budget session under consideration that functioned for 235.22 hours.
During the question hour of the budget session, the legislators raised 3323 questions on 28 districts while two districts namely Rayagada and Boudh districts were completely ignored. Similarly, only 15 percent questions were related to the backward KBK region, the development of which has been a poll plank for all the political parties.
The study says that the number of sitting days per budget session in the state assembly from 2003 to 2012 was 19 days on an average, which is less than the constitutionally mandated number of days.
“Social audit must be conducted at the village level, district level and the constituency level so that the accountability can be fixed for the elected representatives”, said Jagadananda, President of National Social Watch.
