The penultimate day of the Monsoon Session of the State Assembly witnessed a long adjournment as ruling BJD members raised the Polavaram issue and shouted slogans against the present and preceding Union Governments for supporting the project in Andhra Pradesh.
Ruling members stood at their respective seats soon after an Obituary reference on martyred Odia jawan Pitabasa Majhi passed in the House and shouted slogans against the Union Government for announcing to bear all expenditure for construction of the project, which is expected to submerge a large number of villages in Malkangiri distirct.
Speaker could not run the Question Hour Session amidst sloganeering and adjourned the House at 10.35 am till 3 pm.
However, things got normal during the afternoon hours with acquisition and counter acquisition made from both the Opposition and Treasury Bench sides.
“The ruling party under Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has made history in stalling the House. It is doing cheap politics on the Polavaram issue too. Come with data and hold discussion in the House. The State Congress is committed to protect interest of Odisha,” said Mishra.
He said the previous Government had in 1994 (then Biju Patnaik was CM) signed an agreement with the Andhra Pradesh Government for the Polavaram project with a mentions that a little area of Odish would be submerged. But the UPA Government provided environment clearance with a condition that neither an inch of Odisha would be sugmerged nor a single person of Odisha would be displaced.
BJP legislature Party leader KV Singh Deo said the State Government should publish a Whitepaper with all fact and figures it has received from the Union Government, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattishgarh Governments on Polavaram project and Mahanadi water sharing issue, respectively.
“The ruling party is doing politics. Bring a motion on the issue and the BJP is ready to hold discussion, said Singh Deo.
Speaking on the issue, Ministers Sanjay Dasburma and Debi Prasad Mishra slammed both the earlier Congress-led UPA Governemnt and the present BJP-led NDA Government for providing support to the Polavaram project. “While the UPA Government provided environment clearance and declared national status for the project, the NDA Government made the status stronger by announced to bear all expenditure,” alleged Dasburma.
Minister Mishra urged the Speaker to allow a discussion on the issue in the House.
later, four Bills, including the Odisha Official language (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and the Odisha Electricity (Duty) Amendment Bill, were passed though voice votes despite being opposed by Opposition members.
“The State Government had passed the land Grab Bill and the Odisha Police Bill in haste by virtue of majority of the ruling party. Odisha Official language (Amendment) Bill is also an important Bill. A detailed discussion should be held before it is passed,” the leader of Opposition had demanded before passing of the Bill.