The State Assembly was adjourned twice till 3 pm on Wednesday as Opposition members insisted on a statement from the Government on the alleged sapling scam and other irregularities committed in the Agricultural and Farmers’ Empowerment Department as alleged by former Minister Dr Damodar Rout.
At the outset, Congress members rushed to the Well of the House and shouted slogans demanding that the concerned Minister make a statement into the sapling scam while BJP members stood at their chairs and demanded clarifications from the Government regarding the Omfed and cooperative bank scams.
Amid sloganeering, Speaker Pradeep Kumar Amat adjourned the House at 10.30 am till 11.30 am.
When the House reassembled, Congress members trooped to the Well of the House again and shouted slogans against the Chief Minister. Unable to run the proceedings, the Speaker adjourned the House from 11.35 am till 3 pm.
“The Agriculture Minister has already acknowledged irregularities in sapling plantation project. He should now reveal the names of persons involved in corruption,” Congress Chief Whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati told reporters outside the Assembly.
BJP MLA Rabi Narayan Nayak said, “We want the CBI to probe into cooperative bank scam. Also, no action has been taken against those involved in sapling scam. The Chief Minister should clear his stance on these issues.”
During afternoon hours, the Assembly passed Demands of Rs 3141,74,27,000 relating to the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Demand following discussion.
Besides, the House passed the Supplementary Expenditures relating to 41 departments through guillotine. Following this, the Speaker adjourned the House till Monday next. While Thursday and Friday were mentioned as holidays for the Ganesh Puja and Nuakhai festival, respectively, Saturday was not in the list earlier, but on the request of members, the Speaker declared the day as a holiday.