The State Assembly witnessed pandemonium on the very first day of its Winter Session on Tuesday as members of both opposition parties, the Congress and the BJP, kept demanding a discussion on farmers’ suicide.
As soon as obituary motion was passed, leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra requested Speaker Niranjan Pujari to allow a discussion on a motion given by him on farmers’ suicide cancelling the Question Hour and other businesses. But the Speaker said he has received the written motion and is examining it. He then called the first questioner’s name for starting the Question Hour.
Reacting to this, Congress and BJP members rushed into the well of the House holding banners and ‘Amar ladoos’, respectively. Treasury bench members stood up at their seats and protested showing of banners by the Opposition members.
The Speaker adjourned the House at 11.14 am till 3 pm.
In the afternoon, the Opposition members also demanded a discussion on the farmers’ suicide. As the Speaker didn’t allow a discussion, they staged a walkout. However, Finance Minister Pradeep Kumar Amat presented a Supplementary Budget of Rs 11,448 crore for the year 2015-16.
Of the total outlay, the Panchayati Raj Department has received maximum allocation of Rs 1,921 crore followed by Works Department with Rs 1,341 crore, School and Mass Education Department Rs 854 crore, Agriculture Department Rs 489 crore, Water Resources Department Rs 280 crore, Health and Family Welfare department Rs 123 crore, Home Department Rs 80 crore and Revenue and Disaster Management department has received Rs 17.29 crore.
However, no discussion on the supplementary budget was possible as the Opposition Congress and BJP members staged a walkout protesting Speaker’s denial to initiate a debate on farmer suicides.
Soon after the presentation of the Budget, the Speaker adjourned the House till 10.30 am on Wednesday.