Demonetisation Impact: Odisha Assly adjourned twice
09 December,Bhubaneswar
The Odisha Assembly was adjourned twice during the zero hour as the Opposition Congress members demanded a statement from government about the steps taken to mitigate the sufferings of the vegetable vendors and common people in post demonetisation.
The Congress members rushed to the well of the house and stalled the business proceedings over the issue of demonetisation and its impact on the vegetable market and day today lives of the common people.
Deputy Speaker S Marndi was forced to adjourn the house twice as the Congress members insisted a ruling from the Chair to direct the State Finance Minister to make a statement in the house on the impact of demonetization
The Finance Minister, they said should specify what step the government had taken to solve the problem faced by the people due to demonetisation.
Raising the issue during zero opposition Chief Whip Tara Parasad Bahinipati said the farmers in Baragarh and Pattangi in Koraput district damaged huge quantity of tomatoes after the price reduced to below Rs 1 per kg.
Mr Bahinipati said the farmers and small traders could not sell their produce as currency notes of 100, 50, 20 and 10 denominations were not available in the market and people were facing problems with the new currency note of Rs. 2000 to have small purchases.
He said agricultural activities had come to a halt in many places and the people in Koraput have called for a bandh to lodge their protest.
The Congress MLA said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has welcomed the demonetisation when Prime Minister announced it on November 8 last but the the people in the state are facing problems as currency notes of small denominations are not available. He urged the Deputy Speaker to direct the Finance Minister to make a statement in the house.
When the Deputy Speaker did not pay any heed to the demand and asked Mr Samir Ranjan Das (BJD) to speak the Congress members trooped into the well and shouted slogans in support of their demand.
Amid slogan shouting Mr Das said the chief minister had supported the Prime Minister’s move to fight against corruption and black money.The chief minister, he clarified that had asked the banks to ensure that people do not face problem due to demonetisation.
He alleged that the Modi government has miserably failed to bring normalcy even after a month of demonetization. The central government, he said, had not made adequate preparation it should have done before demonetization.
The congress members intensified their protest when the Deputy Speaker ignored their demand. He was however forced to adjourn the house at 1137 hours to 1152 hours in view of the protest from the Congress members.
When the house reassembled after the adjournment, the Deputy Speaker asked Mr Amar Prasad Satpathy (BJD) to speak. The agitated Congress members again rushed to the well in protest and shouted slogan demanding a ruling from the Deputy Speaker.
Unable to run the business of the house, the Deputy Speaker again adjourned the house at 1152 hours till 1500 hours.BM