As expected, the Winter Session of the Odisha legislative Assembly got off to a stormy start on Thursday with opposition parties, the Congress and the BJP, targeting the State Government over children's death due to Japanese Encephalitis and unknown diseases in Malkangiri district and Speaker Niranjan Pujari adjourning the House frequently till 4.01 pm.
However, Finance Minister Pradeep Kumar Amat presented the first Supplementary Budget of Rs6,014.05 crore during the afternoon hours after a consensus reached in an all-party meeting to run the House smoothly.
Soon after the House paid tributes to former MlAs and Jawans who died recently, leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra raised the issue of children's death saying a motion given by his party be discussed soon by suspending the Question Hour.
However, the Speaker didn't pay any heed to his demand and called Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh to reply to a question of Congress MlA Naba Kishore Das. Angry at this, Opposition Chief Whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati along with his party colleges rushed to the Well of the House and insisted on holding a discussion on the motion.
Unable to run the House, Pujari adjourned the House at 11.16 am till 3 pm. And, as the situation did not change, Pujari called an all-party meeting for smooth functioning of the House and adjourned the House till 4.01 pm.
When the House reassembled, the Finance Minister presented the Supplementary Budget of Rs6,014.05 crore, comprising Non Plan of Rs795.97 crore, State Plan of Rs5,150.94 crore, Central Plan of Rs62.31 crore and Centrally Sponsored Plan of Rs4.83 crore. With this, the grand total of this year’s Budget jacked up to Rs1,00,066.70 crore.
Regarding financing of the Supplementary Budget, Amat told the House that it would be financed by tied up resources to the extent of Rs1,718.39 crore, united resources to the extent of Rs162 crore, surrender of provision in grants and appropriations to the extent of Rs1,764.12 crore and overall savings and surrenders of Rs2,387.54 crore.
Priority has been given on infrastructure development for which Rs2,875.04 crore has been allocated in the State Plan, said the Minister.
Meanwhile, ruling party Chief Whip Anant Das placed a motion for passing to suspend the House proceedings for a day on Friday for allowing members to attend the ongoing Make- in- Odisha Conclave in the city. After a discussion, Speaker Pujari adjourned the House till Saturday morning.