For the third consecutive day, opposition members stalled the Odisha Legislative Assembly over paddy procurement and farmers’ issues.
Speaker Surama Padhy attempted to resolve the impasse by calling an all-party meeting, but the effort failed.
Congress had submitted an adjournment proposal to discuss problems in paddy procurement, yet the House could not take it up. After repeated disruptions, Deputy Speaker Bhawani Shankar Bhoi adjourned the House from 12:15 p.m. until 4 p.m.
On Friday, Question Hour began with uproar as members of BJD and Congress stormed into the well of the House, shouting slogans and holding placards. Congress legislators wore black badges and staged protests.
Amid the chaos, the Speaker called Education Minister Nityananda Gond to answer a starred question from legislator Sanjali Murmu. However, opposition members continued their protest, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House from 10:36 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. When proceedings resumed, the uproar persisted. Despite appeals to return to their seats and join discussions, opposition members refused. At 11:37 a.m., the Speaker adjourned the House again and convened an all-party meeting.
The meeting included leaders such as Opposition Deputy Leader Prasanna Acharya, Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling, Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan, Government Chief Whip Saroj Pradhan, Congress Legislature Party Leader Rama Chandra Kadam, Opposition Chief Whip Pramila Mallik, CPI(M) MLA Laxman Munda, Jaya Narayan Mishra, and Pratap Deb.
No consensus emerged, and Deputy Speaker Bhui adjourned the House until 4 p.m. Meanwhile, outside the Assembly, ruling and opposition parties continued trading accusations in the media.
BJD Places Three Demands:
BJD raised three demands in the Odisha Legislative Assembly to address farmers’ concerns.
- The party demanded a statement from the Chief Minister.
- It sought the resignation of the Supply Minister.
- It asked the Agriculture Minister to apologise for his remarks.
Meanwhile, BJD MLA Dhruba Charan Sahoo stated that protests would continue until farmers receive justice.
Congress Clarifies Stand on Assembly Disruption
Congress leader Tara Prasad Bahinipati reacted to the ongoing adjournments in the Odisha Legislative Assembly, stating that Congress does not intend to shut down the House.
He explained that Congress submitted an adjournment proposal, but the Assembly has not been functioning normally. He urged the Speaker to call an all-party meeting to restore order and ensure smooth proceedings.
Bahinipati emphasised that Congress only wants discussion on farmers’ issues and not disruption for its own sake. He added that both the ruling party and the main opposition have failed to run the House effectively.
Congress clarified that its proposal was meant to highlight farmers’ problems, not to paralyse the Assembly. The party reiterated its demand for a constructive discussion and called for collective responsibility to ensure the House functions normally.
Don’t Stage Drama, Says BJP MLA Tankadhar Tripathy
BJP legislator Tankadhar Tripathy reacted to the repeated adjournments in the Odisha Legislative Assembly, accusing the opposition of staging drama instead of focusing on farmers’ issues.
He said the government was ready for discussions that serve the state’s interests. He alleged that the opposition’s intention was not to resolve farmers’ problems.
Tripathy pointed out that even after Congress submitted an adjournment proposal, the opposition blocked Question Hour. He urged them not to pretend to care for the people of Odisha while avoiding responsibility.
He described the opposition as escapist and claimed that the people of Odisha had already given their verdict in Nuapada and would continue to do so in the future.
The Speaker responded by calling an all-party meeting to break the deadlock. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mohan Majhi is scheduled to present the 2026–27 budget later today. Last year, the government announced a budget size of Rs 2.90 lakh crore. This year, estimates suggest the budget could reach Rs 3.20 lakh crore.
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