As expected, the State Assembly witnessed pandemonium over the chit fund scam on Tuesday, the first day of the second phase of the Budget Session, with Opposition Congress and BJP members demanding a discussion on the issue and ouster of Minister Sanjay Dasburma for his alleged involvement in the scam.
As the House met at 10.30 am, Opposition Chief Whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati stood at his seat and demanded cancellation of the Question Hour and starting of a debate on the ponzi scam.
As Speaker Niranjan Pujari didn’t listen to him and called Forests and Environment Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh to give his reply to a question of MlA Mehesh Sahoo, Congress and BJP members rushed to the Well of the House and continued to raise their demands.
Unable to run, Pujari adjourned the House at 10.31 am till 3 pm.
When the House reassembled in the afternoon, leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra said, “We had given an Adjournment Motion on the sensitive chit fund issue. It was to be discussed in the interest of people. But it was not accepted. We protest it.”
Thereafter, he and his party members staged a walkout. BJP members too moved out of the House in protest.
Reports of various Standing Committees were presented in the absence of the Opposition. The Speaker adjourned the House at around 3.20 pm till Wednesday morning.