The State Assembly on Wednesday witnessed frequent adjournments till afternoon as Opposition BJP and Congress insisted on a discussion on farmer suicides and action against the Bargarh district Collector for submitting a false report on peasant Hadu Bagarty’s suicide.
As the House met for the day, BJP MlAs urged Speaker Niranjan Pujari to suspend the Question Hour and hold a debate on the farmers’ suicide issue.
As the Speaker didn’t respond to their demand and called Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy to reply to a question on the Potato Mission, BJP members trouped into the Well of the House and started shouting slogans against the Government.
Unable to run proceedings, Pujari adjourned the House at 10.32 am till 11.32 am.
When the House reassembled, leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra of the Congress demanded that the Privilege Motion moved by him against the Agriculture Minister be sent to the Privileges Committee. He too demanded that the Minister express regrets for misleading the House by furnishing false information on Bagarty’s suicide.
Mishra also raised the issues of arrest of Home Guards during their demonstration in the city on Tuesday and detention of former MlA Chandrasen Naik in a private hospital for delay in payment of the bill and sought appropriate actions.
After him, Congress Chief Whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati too raised the issues of Home Guards and false report on the Bargarh farmer’s suicide. He demanded that the Bargarh Collector be suspended forthwith.
When the Speaker responded saying that the Privilege Motion was under his active consideration, the Congress members rushed into the Well and insisted on suspension of the Collector.
Pujari then adjourned the House at 11.45 till 12.55 pm and then till 3 pm.
However, normalcy was restored in the afternoon session when discussion of Demands for Grants relating to the Water Resources Department began.
Participating in the discussion, the leader of Opposition alleged that the Government has failed in providing irrigation facilities to farmers.