Odisha Assembly deadlock continues; Speaker holds all-party meeting amid Oppn protest
Bhubaneswar, Feb 23 (IANS) The Odisha Assembly continued to witness massive disruptions on Monday as the members of the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Indian National Congress (INC) staged protests over chaos at Mandis and Epstein file issues.
As the Question Hour began at 10.30 am on Monday, members of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) rushed to the Well of the House, holding posters and raising anti-government slogans near the speaker’s dais, alleging massive paddy procurement mismanagement at the Mandis across the state.
They alleged that the BJP-led state government betrayed the farmers, who are under severe distress due to the non-lifting of paddy and the non-payment of MSP, etc. The congress members also created a ruckus in the house, demanding discussions on the Epstein files.
The Congress members demanded the resignation of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri over his name appearing in the Epstein files. The opposition members also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Epstein files.
Meanwhile, BJP MLAs protested the criticism of PM Modi and Union minister, saying that they are not members of the house.
Speaker Surama Padhy repeatedly appealed to opposition members to return to their seats and allow the house to function. However, the members paid no heed, and the protest continued.
The ruckus forced the Speaker of the Odisha Assembly, Surama Padhy, to adjourn the House multiple times before finally suspending proceedings until 4 pm.
The Speaker also convened an all-party meeting to end the logjam in the assembly, which had continued since the start of the budget session on February 17.
Speaking to media persons outside the house, senior BJD leader Dibya Shankar Mishra strongly criticised the state government over the stalemate in the Odisha Assembly.
He announced that the BJD will intensify its agitation and stage a major protest in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday over farmers’ issues.
“I am ashamed to see the current state of affairs. In a democracy, governance is meant for the welfare of the poorest of the poor, farmers, backward classes, and deprived communities. Unfortunately, this government has failed to understand the true meaning of welfare,” he said.
Mishra accused the government of neglecting the farming community despite rising input costs.
He alleged that the promise of 100 units of free electricity for farmers had not been fulfilled and claimed that, although the government had spoken about increasing the Minimum Support Price (MSP), farmers were not receiving the declared benefits.
He further pointed out that the cost of seeds, fertilisers, and other agricultural inputs had risen significantly, yet adequate support for cultivators was still lacking.
He further demanded loan waivers for farmers, the lifting of procurement caps, and the assurance of procurement of surplus paddy.
“The 150-quintal procurement limit must be removed. What about the surplus paddy with farmers? The government must ensure that all produce is procured,” Mishra said.
–IANS
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