With the Speaker sticking to his stand that the chit fund scam would not be discussed in the Assembly and Opposition Congress and BJP members continuing to insist that the State’s most important issue must be the prime one for debate, the House witnessed uproarious scenes for the twelfth consecutive day on Wednesday before being adjourned to Thursday.
As soon as the House assembled for the day, Congress members demanded that Speaker Niranjan Pujari reconsider his decision on a discussion on chit fund issue. But the Speaker while rejecting their demand allowed commencement of the Question Hour.Excise and Cooperation Minister Damodar Rout read out his reply to a question, but his reply was inaudible due to the commotion as the Congress members rushed to the Well of the House and tried to snatch papers from the Speaker’s table.
BJP members walked out of the House as the Speaker rejected their demands of allowing debates on the chit fund issue and circulation of Bills in Odia language along with English translation.Congress members also staged walkout with leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra (Congress) stating that the Speaker does not listen to their demand on the chit fund issue.
The Speaker announced adjournment of the House till 3 pm and called a meeting of the House Business Advisory Committee. The Opposition, while sticking to its stand on the chit fund issue, boycotted the meeting,following which the Speaker finally adjourned the House to Thursday.
leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra (Congress) accused the Naveen Patnaik Government of “dictatorship” resulting in the impasse in the Assembly. Such arbitrary attitude would lead to the “destruction” of the BJD, he warned, adding that there are signs of “self-contradictions” in the ruling party already evident.
Mishra said the chit fund scam, which has robbed about a crore of the State’s people of their money, is the most burning issue across the State. But the Government is hell-bent on not allowing a debate on the issue, for which the Assembly has been rendered nonfunctional for 12 long days.