There were protests by the State’s ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) members over the issue of neglect of Odisha in the Railway Budget in the Assembly during the Zero Hour on Wednesday.
After the issue was raised by BJD MlA Amar Prasad Satpathy, his party colleagues stood up with placards denouncing the Railway Budget. They later staged a dharna in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Assembly premises and shouted slogans against the Union Government alleging neglect of Odisha in the Budget.
Inside the Assembly, Opposition Chief Whip (Congress) Tara Prasad Bahinipati held both the State and Union Governments responsible for the neglect of Odisha in the Railway Budget. He demanded that a resolution be adopted in the House on the issue and a delegation sent to meet both the Prime Minister and the lok Sabha Speaker over the State’s demands.
leader of the Opposition Narasingha Mishra (Congress) demanded that the CM call an all-party meeting on the issue immediately and decide the future course of action.
Further, BJD members staged dharnas in front of all major railway stations in the State protesting against Odisha’s neglect in the Railway Budget. While BJD MlA Priyadarshi Mishra and others led the protest dharna at the Bhubaneswar railway station, party MlAs Pratap Jena and Pravat Biswal headed the protests at the Cuttack railway station.
The Biju Yuba Janata Dal and the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal will continue with their similar agitation for three days, Wednesday being the first day.
The CPI, the CPI(Marxist-leninist) liberation and the Samajwadi Party staged Rail Roko at the Bhubaneswar railway station protesting the FDI in railways and the neglect towards Odisha in the Railway Budget.