The State Assembly proceedings continued to be disrupted for the sixth consecutive day on Friday as Opposition members insisted on demanding a reply from the Chief Minister to all questions raised by leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra relating to the deposit of Rs 8 crore of alleged chit fund money in the ruling BJD bank account.
As opposition Congress and BJP members continued rushing to the Well of the House and shouting slogans in support of their demands since the beginning, Speaker Niranjan Pujari adjourned the House twice from 10.32 am to 12.30 pm.
When the situation remained unaltered at 12.30 pm, Pujari called an all-party meeting to find out ways for smooth running of the House and adjourned it till 3 pm.
While Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh, Government Chief Whip Anant Das, Minister Sanjay Dasburma, Opposition Chief Whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati attended the meeting, leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra (Congress) and BJP MlA KV Singh Deo did not show up.
After the first meeting failed to reach a decision, the Speaker subsequently adjourned the House repeatedly and called leaders each time to sit together to help him run the House, but without any avail.
When the House reassembled in the evening, Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Minister Pradeep Maharathy read out the proposals approved in the Agriculture Cabinet, which had met on Thursday under chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the State Secretariat.
The Speaker then sent the expenditure proposal of the Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Department to guillotine to be held on May 12.
The House was adjourned for as many as eight times on the day.