Orissa Assembly adjourned sine die;Naveen blames Opposition

Bhubaneswar, Nov 29 (UNI) Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today blamed the Opposition for the abrupt end of the Winter session of the Assembly, which was adjourned sine die by Speaker Maheswar Mohanty after nine days of impasse.

The Opposition behaved in a rowdy manner inside the House, stalling the business for all nine days since the beginning of the session on November 19, Mr Patnaik told newsmen soon after the House was adjourned during the post-lunch session.

Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader J B Patnaik, however, described the action of the government as unconstitutional and urged Governor M C Bhandare to dismiss the Naveen Patnaik's government for the constitutional crisis in the state.

Mr Patnaik told newspersons that a constitutional impasse had arisen as Speaker Maheswar Mohanty adjourned the House sine die 15 days prior to its schedule date, ignoring all rules and regulations of the parliamentary practice.

He said the government Chief Whip moved a motion to squeeze the mandatory provision to conduct the business of the House for 60 days in a calendar year in the most ''undemocratic'' manner and the motion was adopted in the House due to the passive majority of the ruling alliance.

The rule of informing the members at least seven days prior to the adjournment was also not followed, he said and urged the Governor to intervene into the matter.

Speaker Maheswar Mohanty, however, justified the sine die, stating that in the past also the Assembly had been declared adjourned sine die much before the schedule date.

The Leader of Opposition said a delegation of the Congress leaders would soon submit a memorandum to the Governor, protesting abrupt adjournment of the House.

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