The Treasury Bench members on Saturday created ruckus in the Assembly and forced the Speaker to adjourn the House in the pre-launch sitting, protesting over release of a meagre Central assistance of Rs 250 crore, which they dubbed as ‘peanut” to meet the ongoing post Phailin and subsequent restoration and relief operation in the State.
At the same time, they alleged that the minuscule monetary assistance was a vindication of the step-motherly attitude of the Centre towards Odisha. As soon as the Question Hour was over, the ruling BJD members en masse raised slogans against Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi inside the House, protesting against the discrimination in allotment of Central assistance for undertaking relief and restoration work in the State.
Raising the issue, senior BJD member Pradeep Maharathy alleged that the Central Government had released only a meager Rs 250 crore for the State after around two months of the severe Phailin and subsequent floods against a demand for around Rs 6,000 crore to undertake relief and restoration work in 18 affected districts.
To counter the BJD members, the opposition Congress members were also seen exhibiting some newspapers and shouting slogan against the Treasury Bench members for deliberately avoiding a discussion on the gruesome murder of Tikri Upper Primary school teacher Itishree Pradhan.
Undeterred, Maharathy, however, regretted that the meager assistance was released even one month after the Prime Minister’s suo moto announcement to provide Rs 1,000 crore as advance for the ongoing restoration and relief operations. He sought to know from the Prime Minister why Odisha had been meted out such injustice, while the UPA Government was generous to the Congress ruling States like Uttarakhand and Assam during the natural calamities.
Alleging that Dr Singh and Gandhi made crores of calamity hit people of Odisha a laughing stock by doling out a meager assistance, Maharathy warned that the State’s people would not tolerate the continuing neglect by the Centre and would give their fitting reply at appropriate time. Government Deputy Chief Whip Sanjay Dasburma said that after four days of the twin calamities, the Chief Minister had requested the Prime Minister to provide at least Rs1,000 crore interim assistance to carry out relief and restoration operation in 18 affected districts.
later, the Government had also submitted the first memorandum to the Union Government through a Central team that assessed the damage. It submitted the second memorandum after the incessant rains and floods following the Phailin. So far, there was no response from the Center relating to the normal assistance against the two memorandums, but now Rs 250 crore is a cruel joke by the Centre on the State’s suffering and loss, he said.
He further lamented that while no Central Ministers visited the State, the Prime Minister cancelled his scheduled visit to the Phailin and flood affected areas despite assurance to take an onsite view of the damages created by the calamities. On the other hand, leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh criticised the Treasury Bench members for their unruly behaviour. Since the Congress had given an adjournment notice for discussion on the murder of the school teacher Itishree Pradhan and the notice was admitted, Singh amidst noisy scene urged the Speaker to initiate the debate in the House. Singh was heard saying that the Treasury Bench members had resorted to Centre bashing to prevent the adjournment motion on Itishree Pradhan.
The Speaker repeatedly asked the members to take their seats and cooperate in the smooth conduct of the business of the House, but the members did not pay any heed to the Speaker's request. As the ruling members disrupted the proceeding, unable to conduct the business, the Speaker adjourned the House at 11.35 am till 3 pm. Due to the unruly scene by the ruling BJD members, the House could transact its business for 65 minutes in the pre-lunch sitting.