With the Winter Session of the State legislative Assembly set to commence on Tuesday, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the main Opposition Congress and BJP are sharpening their strategies for a face-off during the session which will continue till August 27.
According to sources, the BJP and Congress are set to raise some common issues like all round failure of the State Government, deteriorating law and order situation, growing crimes against women, death of nine newborns at the VSS Medical College and Hospital, death of Mahakalpada minor girl, mismanagement in Mid-Day Meal (MDM), neglect of agriculture sector and price rise, among others.
Both the Congress and BJP would try to corner the Government on the issue of chit fund scam which has rendered as many as 20 lakh small depositors paupers. The law and order situation has deteriorated to such an extent that people no longer feel safe as crime against senior citizens and women have gone up. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik being the Home Minister has lost the right to rule, said BJP legislative Party leader Jayanarayan Mishra.
He said BJP would raise the issue of the death of nine newborns at the VSS last month in a day. “This exposed the irresponsibility on the part of the doctors and degraded health service system in the State.
Besides, failure of the Government to check spread of dengue would also come up for discussion,” Mishra said. BJP would also raise the issue of neglect of the Government towards the farmers and farm sector and the spiralling prices of onion. The demand for establishment of a permanent bench in the western Odisha region for which the western Odisha is on boil will also be raised, Mishra said and added that the party would demand discussion on the chit fund scam in which a number of ruling BJD Ministers and leaders are involved.
Alleging that the law and order situation has touched a new low during the Naveen Patnaik regime and the recent manifestation of crime graph against women is simply a matter of concern, leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh alleged that the police administration has completely failed.
Charging that the ruling BJD leaders and Ministers are hand in glove with the fraudulent chit fund companies like Arthatatwa and Sea Shore, Singh said that Congress would demand for a CBI and SIT probe into the matter.
However, the ruling BJD seems to be cool and will play the rhetoric of Central neglect, particularly in not according special category status (SCS) to Odisha, despite the unanimous resolution passed in the Assembly and the BJD’s demand which echoed in New Delhi at the Swaviman Samavesh.
The BJD would try to nail the Congress by raising the issue of skyrocketing price of onion and the faulty economic policies besides price rise of essential commodities, regular hike in petrol and diesel prices and agriculture policies of the UPA Government.
The party will also raise the issue of inordinate delay on the part of the Central Government in raising the royalty on minerals which resulted in loss of thousands of crores of rupees to the State.
The Opposition parties have no new issues. However, the Government is ready to discuss all issues raised by the opposition on merit and as per rules, said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kalpataru Das. Stating that the Government would focus on developmental issues and policies on welfare and progress of the State, he said priority would be given on passing of pending and new bills during the short session. He added that as many as eight bills are in hand for introduction and passing.
The BJD legislature Party will meet on Monday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to work out the strategies to combat the Opposition onslaught, Das said.