Bhubaneswar, Feb 16 (PTI) The Odisha assembly is likely to witness noisy scenes in the budget session that will commence from Tuesday, as the opposition BJD and Congress will raise a host of issues, such as alleged mismanagement of paddy procurement and Mahanadi water dispute, in the House.
Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik, while addressing BJD legislators on Monday, alleged that the current ‘double-engine’ government remained “busy with slogans and photo-opportunities, while our farmers are spending nights under the open sky at mandis, guarding their produce”.
“If the farmers’ voice is not heard in the state-run mandis, it must roar in the assembly,” he said.
The BJD, at its legislature party meeting, decided to raise issues, like alleged mismanagement of paddy procurement, Mahanadi water dispute with Chhattisgarh, “deteriorating” law and order and the government’s “inability” to utilise budget allocations, in the session.
Patnaik informed BJD lawmakers that the reports received from district units were clear that the anger of farmers was at a “boiling point”.
“In the assembly session, we will not let the government hide behind rhetoric. Our strategy must be clinical and relentless. We will use every parliamentary tool – questions, walkouts, and demonstrations on the floor – to ensure the government answers for its failures,” the BJD chief told party MLAs.
The former chief minister came down heavily on the BJP government, claiming that the “budget expenditure till December was roughly 47 per cent”.
The BJD MLAs accused the BJP dispensation of “having no interest” in resolving the Mahanadi water dispute with Chhattisgarh.
“This government has failed on all fronts, except false publicity. We should fight aggressively in the budget session of the assembly to safeguard the interests of our farmers, women, students and Odia Asmita,” Patnaik said in the meeting.
Congress Legislature Party leader Rama Chandra Kadam said the party will raise “farmers’ plights, Mahanadi and Polavaram issues and highlight atrocities on scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, OBCs and minorities”.
“The Congress MLAs will raise the social justice issues like caste row at an Anganwadi centre in Kendrapara district,” he said.
OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das said the Congress, as a responsible opposition party, is committed to presenting the problems of the people and ensuring the accountability of the government.
The ruling BJP, at its legislature party meeting under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, prepared for a healthy discussion in the House.
“We are ready to discuss all the issues that will be raised by the opposition party. We will present all the aspects of the 19-month BJP government before the people,” said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling. PTI AAM AAM BDC
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