The State Assembly witnessed five adjournments and could not conduct normal businesses till 5.04 pm on Friday as both the Congress and the BJP members created pandemonium and kept rushing into Well of the House.
They reiterated their demands for a debate on the farmers’ suicide issue and action against Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy and the Bargarh district Collector for submission of a fake suicide report.
As the House met for the day at 10.30 pm, Congress Chief Whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati wanted to know why an Adjournment Motion on farmers’ issue given by the Opposition was not accepted. As the Speaker didn’t heed, Bahinipati along with all the Congress and the BJP members trouped into the Well of the House and started shouting anti-Government slogans.
Unable to run the proceedings, the Speaker adjourned the House at 10.31 am till 11.31 am and subsequently, adjourned it for four more times till 5.04 pm as the Opposition members kept rushing into the House each time it reassembled.
However, the demands of grants of the School and Mass Education and the Higher Education departments were passed amid sloganeering and thumping of podium by the Opposition members. Expenditure estimate of Rs 13, 897, 11, 97,000 relating to the School and Mass Education Department and Rs 2, 094, 72, 37.000 relating to the Higher Education Department were passed through voice votes. Only BJD’s Prafulla Samal participated in the discussion. Finally, the Speaker adjourned the House at 5.23 pm for the day.