The State Assembly was adjourned thrice and ultimately on Friday as members from both the Treasury and Opposition Benches traded charges against each other persistently creating din in the House. The proceedings in the day were carried out for a total of only four minutes.
As soon as the House assembled for the day, ruling BJD members, with an obvious intention to divert attention from the raging issues of chit fund scam and Minister Pradeep Maharathy’s abusive words against BJP woman MlA Radharani Panda, created noisy scenes accusing the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre of not having released a single paisa as assistance towards meeting damages cause by the Cyclone Hudhud recently.
They also raised the issue of the pending arrear dues on account of the Cyclone Phailin last year.The moment leader of the Opposition (Congress) Narasingha Mishra stood up to request Speaker Niranjan Pujari to suspend the Question Hour and take up the issue of the mega chit fund scam, BJD members shouted slogans against the Centre on Hudhud assistance and stalled the proceedings of the House.
The BJP and Congress members raised the issues of Maharathy using derogatory language against Radharani Panda on Thursday and chit fund scam forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House till 11.30 am.When the House reassembled at 11.30 am, both Treasury and Opposition members continued to create the ruckus sticking to their respective stands.
Radharani Panda, the Brajrajnagar member, climbed on to the Speaker’s table demanding action against Maharathy and then sat on a dharna in the Well of the House. The Speaker then adjourned the House till 3 pm. As there was no improvement in the situation after the House reassembled, the proceedings were adjourned to Saturday.
Narasingha Mishra told the media, “The Chief Minister is scared of taking up the chit fund issue for discussion in the House. The ruling party members stormed the House in a well-planned manner shouting slogans as soon as I rose from the seat to request the Speaker for a discussion on the chit fund issue by suspending the Question Hour. Their intention was not to allow a discussion on the chit fund issue.”
The leader of the Opposition also said Thursday’s incident of a Minister outraging the modesty of a woman MlA and issuing threats to her was probably the first in the country’s history.BJP legislature Party leader Basant Kumar Panda said the issue of delay in payment of assistance to the State raised by the BJD members has nothing to do with the BJP. It is a matter of Centre-State relations. “We want justice for Radharani Panda, who is on a dharna in the Well. The BJD people do not want a discussion on the chit fund issue as it will unmask their real faces,” Panda said.
BJD Mahanga MlA and party spokesperson Pratap Jena came out in defence of the act of his party members. He told reporters that the BJD had decided to raise the issue of the Centre’s neglect on the issue of assistance for Hudhud at its legislature party meeting the day before the Winter Session began.
On the issue of Minister Maharathy making indecent remarks against Radharani Panda, he said it’s only an allegation. “It is being investigated by the Speaker, and if Maharathy is found guilty, action will be taken against him,” he said.Meanwhile, Union Tribal Affairs Minister and BJP leader Jaul Oram met Radharani Panda in the Assembly lobby and urged the Speaker to take action against Maharathy.“The State Government has clearly been rattled by the ongoing CBI inquiry into the chit fund scam and does not want any discussion on the issue,” he said.