Deadlock in Odisha Assly continues over Chit fund scam, Home dept demand guillotined

10 May, Bhubaneswar

The demand for grants for the Home department in the Odisha Assembly was guillotined Tuesday as the discussion for the demand could not be held due to the protest by opposition Congress and BJP over the chit fund scam.

Leader of Opposition Nrasingha Mishra said this is probably for the first time in the history of Odisha Assembly that the demand for the Home department was guillotined.

The house was adjourned six times both during the pre-lunch and post-lunch session and finally till tomorrow after the opposition members stalled the proceedings of the house and the all-party meeting convened by Speaker Niranjan Pujari failed to break the impasse. The meeting was held this morning and again in the evening.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik attended the all party meeting in the evening. Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra who thanked the Chief Minister for attending the meeting hoped that it would lead to a solution.

Mr Mishra, however, described the all party meeting neither a success nor a failure but hoped that the Speaker would call the meeting again tomorrow to resolve the issue.

The Congress leader said at the meeting, the Chief Minister requested the Opposition to give alternative proposals on the ground that the debate on the Chit fund commission chairman retired justice M M Das could be taken up

The opposition members were protesting against the treasury bench members not allowing the Leader of opposition to speak, remarks of Law Minister Arun Kumar Sahu against the Leader of Opposition and a statement from Chief Minister in the house on the remark of Justice Das against the depositors.

The Opposition has also been demanding the resignation of the Chief Minister for his alleged involvement in the chit fund scam and removal of Justice Das for his remark at a function on the innocent investors duped by the chit fund companies in the state.

After the meeting when the Assembly met at 1730 hrs after the adjournment, the Speaker announced that the demand for grants for the Home department was guillotined and adjourned the house till 1030 hrs tomorrow.

The Opposition Congress and the BJP members have been stalling the proceedings of the house for the last several days over their demand for the resignation of the Chief Minister and Food Supply and Consumer Affairs Minister Sanjaya Dasburma for their alleged involvement in the chit fund scam besides the removal of Justice Das from the Chit Fund Commission.BM