The State Assembly witnessed pandemonium on Wednesday as Opposition Congress and BJP members demanded a reply from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the House over irregularities in the appointment of Assistant Executive Engineers.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra alleged that there have been massive irregularities in the appointment of AEEs under the direct supervision of the Chief Minister.
He said the Chief Minister through his Twitter account in December 2015, had stated that there have been massive irregularities in the AEE appointments which had even exceeded the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh.
He said the CM though had admitted to such huge irregularities, yet later handed over appointment letters to some AEEs. Stating that the Government went ahead with appointments despite the SAT’s stay order, Mishra urged Speaker Niranjan Pujari to direct the Chief Minister to give a reply on the issue in the House.
Supporting his demand, Congress and BJP members rushed to the Well of the House and shouted anti-Government slogans.
Government Chief Whip Anant Das commenting on the issue said Mishra’s demand is not justifiable as the case is still sub-judice in courts. The Opposition has no issue and has made a plan intentionally to create disturbances in the House, he said.
In the meanwhile, BJD MlA Manas Madkami demanded a discussion on the Polavaram issue. The Speaker allowed him to speak on the issue.
Protesting the decision of the Speaker, Opposition members created hullabaloo in the House. Unable to run the House proceedings, Pujari adjourned the House at 11.47 am till 3 pm.
After the House was adjourned, BJD members went to the Mahatma Gandhi Statue in the Assembly premises and staged a dharna there. They alleged that the BJP-led NDA Government has no concern about Odisha people’s interest and has allowed Andhra Pradesh to go ahead with the project for which many tribal villages and agriculture land of Malkangiri would be submerged.