The State Assembly was adjourned at least for three times as Opposition Congress and BJP members kept demanding ouster of Justice Madam Mohan Das as the chit fund probe panel head for the second consecutive day on Saturday.
However, normalcy restored only after the Government assured to return money to the duped chit fund investors.
When the House met at 10.30 am for the day, Opposition Chief Whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati stood at his seat and demanded Justice Das be removed from the judicial commission for joining a meeting hosted by the ruling and giving a clean chit to the Government on the chit fund scam issue and stating that people invested in chit funds out of their greed.
When Speaker Niranjan Pujari didn’t listen to Bahinipati’s demand and called Food and Supplies Minister Sanjay Dasburma to answer a question, both Congress and BJP members rushed into the Well of the House and shouted slogans in support of their demand.
Pujari adjourned the House at 10.33 am till 11.30 am. As the situation remained unaltered, he also adjourned the House two times further till 3 pm.
Opposition members only joined the proceedings at 3 am when Government Chief Whip Anant Das said the Government would return money to all duped chit fund investors and requested them to participate in a demand discussion of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department.
During discussion, Opposition members charged the Government had done little to increase crop production in the State.
“large chunks of fertile cultivable lands have been converted for other purposes. The Government has not taken any step to preserve land for crops,” said Congress MlA Bhujabal Majhi, initiating the discussion.
After discussion, the Department’s Vote-on-Account of `5070,94,000 was passed. The House was adjourned till Monday morning.