Budget session of Odisha assembly from Thursday

The budget session of theOdisha Assembly which commences from Thursday is likely to bestormy as both the opposition and treasury bench members areready with key issues.

The House this time will also resume the Question Hourand Zero Hour which were suspended for the last two sessionsin view of the limitations of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The all party meeting convened by Speaker S N Patroresolved that the house will run for limited hours in twophases.

While the first phase will start at 10.30 am and continuetill 1.30 pm. The second phase will start from 4 pm andcontinue till 6 pm every day except on special occasions whenit can be extended till 7 pm, speaker Patro told reporters.

He said as per the decision taken at the meeting, thequestion hour will be conducted from 10.30 am to 11.30 amwhile the duration of the discussion on admissibility of theadjournment motion will be 90 minutes.

The budget session of the house will be conducted in twophases till April 9.

The ruling BJD prepared a strategy for the session at itslegislature party meeting chaired by Chief Minister NaveenPatnaik.

The party has decided to raise issues like the centre'snegligence of Odisha, revenue shortfall due to GST and othercentral government sponsored schemes, said ParliamentaryAffairs Minister B K Arukha.

He said the state will lose Rs 12,000 crore this year dueto implementation of GST. The state government will bear theloss of Rs 60,000 crore in five years, he said.

Arukha said the BJD will also raise the issue concerningthe centers alleged negligence towards railway infrastructuredevelopment in the state.

Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra saidhis party will raise issues concerning the dispute relating toAndhra Pradesh holding rural polls in the disputed Kotiacluster of villages and also farmers issues.

Meanwhile, the BJP is all set to highlight the issue ofpolitical violence in the state and double murder in Mahanga,children missing case and NMA issues apart from Kotia dispute.

The budget session will commence on February 18 after theGovernor's address followed by obituary reference, motion ofthanks & laying of the lists of assented Bills in the house bySecretary of the assembly.

Later, the house will be adjourned. The budget will betabled on February 22.

The session will be held with strict adherence to theCOVID-19 guidelines. All the MLAs, ministers, media personsand others will get entry into the assembly premises onlyafter testing negative for the infection.

Some members will participate in the house proceedingthrough virtual mode from Odisha computer application centre,second floor conference hall of the Lok Seva Bhawan,residential office of Chief Minister/Minister/Leader ofOpposition/Members and office of respective collectors wherevideo conference systems have been installed.

As decided, the papers/reports will not be distributedamong members in the house except those urgent in nature. Allpapers will be distributed by post to members at theirrespective addresses in Bhubaneswar.

The coronavirus preventive kit will be supplied tomembers/media people/officials of Odisha legislative assemblyby the Health & Family Welfare Department.

The assembly hall and premises will be sanitised dailyby the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Meanwhile, DGP Abhay reviewed the security arrangement inthe assembly and expressed his satisfaction over thearrangements made for the smooth conduct of the house.

Commissioner of Police S Sarangi appealed to people tostage demonstrations during the assembly session in ademocratic manner instead of resorting to violence orattempting self-immolation.