Odisha Assembly resumes work as all party meet bears positive outcome

The impasse over various issues, including chit fund scam, which paralysed the Odisha Assembly for five days on the trot, was resolved Friday after an all-party meeting. The meeting, convened by Speaker P K Amat, resolved to bring back normalcy in the House and allow passing of The Odisha Appropriation (Vote on Account) Bill, 2019.

Earlier, Amat had adjourned the Assembly thrice owing to pandemonium. The opposition Congress and BJP members were agitating in the well of the House for five consecutive days.

The uproar began in the House as soon as it assembled at 10.30 am. While the BJD MLAs shouted slogans against the Centre for its "gross apathy" towards Odisha, the opposition Congress and BJP members demanded a discussion on the farmers' issue as well as sexual assault of minor girls in the state. The leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra told reporters that the Congress had urged the Speaker to initiate discussion on unemployment and farmers issues.

"The government did not allow discussion on the farmers' issue. Had the government been keen on listening to the grievances of the farmers, there would have been no stalemate in the Assembly," Mishra said. BJP members also raised slogans accusing the state government of failing to provide jobs to youths and alleged police brutality on those agitating against liquor trade in the state.

While the opposition members staged a demonstration in the well of the House, the BJD MLAs marched to the Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum addressed to the President of India over the unemployment issue and the BJP-led central governments "neglect" towards Odisha. Senior BJD MLA Sanjay Das Burma said, "In 2014 poll manifesto, PM Narendra Modi had promised to provide employment to two crore unemployed youths of the country every year.

Accordingly, Odisha's share is proportionately 36 lakh unemployed youths in five years. Hence, we are submitting today a memorandum to the President of India through the Governor." The BJD MLAs asked the Centre to publish the list of 36 lakh youths of Odisha who have been employed in MCL, NALCO, IOCL and other public sector units.

(With inputs from agencies.)