The first phase of the Odisha Legislative Assembly’s budget session, which commenced on February 17, has concluded with an interim adjournment. The House will remain in recess until March 9, with proceedings set to resume on March 10 for the second phase.
The session began with the Governor’s address, followed by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi presenting the state budget for the financial year 2026-27 on February 20. However, the proceedings were marred by continuous disruptions from the opposition parties, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress, primarily over farmers’ grievances. This led to no substantial business being conducted, effectively washing away the first part of the session in chaos.
From the outset, the opposition raised strong objections. On the first day, BJD and Congress members staged a walkout during the Governor’s speech to protest. In the subsequent days, they continued their demonstrations in the well of the House, preventing any normal functioning. Key issues highlighted included the government’s alleged failure to procure paddy from farmers, increasing deductions (katni-chatni), and problems in mandis (market yards).
The disruptions persisted from question hour onwards, forcing repeated adjournments of the House. Amid the protests, only the budget presentation proceeded without interruption. The opposition’s unrelenting stance ensured that no other agenda items could be addressed.
During the recess, departmental standing committees will review and scrutinise the expenditure demands from various departments. On March 10, these committees’ reports will be tabled in the Assembly. The second phase will focus on department-wise discussions on the budget demands. Given the heated atmosphere in the initial sittings, political observers anticipate similar tensions in the upcoming phase, with various issues likely to spark debates.
The main opposition BJD dominated the protests by keeping the House stalled over farmers’ concerns, with Congress aligning in solidarity. However, on Monday, Congress shifted its strategy, opting out of the ruckus to participate in zero hour discussions. They raised the Epstein files issue, naming Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, but Speaker Surama Padhy expunged these remarks from the records.
On Tuesday, a general discussion on the budget commenced before the adjournment was announced till 10:30 AM on March 9.
The session’s turbulent start underscores the deepening political divides in the state, with farmers’ welfare emerging as a flashpoint between the ruling and opposition benches.
