Monsoon Session adjourned sine die

The 11-day Monsoon Session of the 15th Odisha legislative Assembly, which had begun on August 18, concluded on Saturday.The Assembly passed two Bills in the absence of Opposition members on the day. The Bills were the Odisha Underground Pipeline, Cable and Nullah Bill-2015 and the Odisha Education (Amendment) Bill-2015.

In the morning hours, only the Question Hour ran in the presence of ruling BJD members. While two questions asked by Opposition members could not be discussed due to their absence, three questions put by BJD members were discussed. At this time, Congress members staged a protest outside the Assembly alleging that the voice of the Opposition was being suppressed by the ruling party.

After the Question Hour, Speaker Niranjan Pujari called leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra and all Congress and BJP members to the attend the House stating that an Adjournment Motion on drought had to be discussed. As none of them turned up, the Speaker adjourned the House till 3 pm.On Friday, the Assembly had also conducted the Question Hour with the Opposition benches remaining vacant. After the two Bills were passed in the afternoon hours, the Speaker adjourned the House for an indefinite period.