Odisha Assembly Resumes Amid Opposition Criticism Over Amendment Bills

Despite initial disruptions caused by the Biju Janata Dal’s (BJD) protests in the morning and the Congress party’s walkout following the rejection of their adjournment motion, the House proceedings continued smoothly later in the day. While BJD members participated in the discussions, Congress remained absent.

In the afternoon session, the state government introduced two amendment bills. Chief Minister and Finance Minister presented the Odisha Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025, while Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj tabled the Odisha University (Amendment) Bill, 2025. Both bills faced strong opposition from BJD members, who proposed amendments and criticized the government’s haste in pushing the legislation.

BJD MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain questioned the necessity of the Odisha University (Amendment) Bill, pointing out that a similar bill had been passed in the previous session after extensive discussions. “We had warned the government against rushing the bill. Our concerns have proven true, as the government is now forced to bring amendments just 44 days later,” Swain remarked, sarcastically noting that the government’s term might end before it finishes amending flawed legislation.

The Odisha Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill also drew criticism from BJD MLAs Ranendra Pratap Swain, Ganeswar Behera, and Dr. Arun Sahu, who opposed the reduction of penalties from 25% to 10%. The opposition argued that the changes were insufficiently debated. Following heated discussions, both bills were referred to a consultative committee for further deliberation, as proposed by Government Chief Whip Saroj Pradhan.

The opposition’s resistance highlights ongoing tensions in the Assembly, with BJD accusing the government of pushing poorly thought-out legislation. As the bills await further scrutiny, the state government faces the challenge of addressing these concerns while maintaining legislative momentum.