Congress moves Privilege notice against Naveen

Bhubaneswar,Mar 9 (UNI) Congress Deputy leader Narashingha Mishra today moved a breach of privilege notice against Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for announcing a policy decision at a public meeting when the assembly was in session.

Raising the issue during zero hour, Mr Mishra said when the house was in session, the government could not make any policy decision in public as it had to be announced first in the assembly.

He said on March 5, on the eve of Biju Patnaik's birth anniversary, the chief minister had announced that old age pension and pension for widows and handicapped had been doubled from Rs 100 per month.

The Congress deputy leader said a demand had been made in the house to enhance the pension and the matter was discussed at length.

But when the assembly was in session, even the cabinet could not take a decision in this regard. ''Whatever has to be made,the house has to be taken into confidence first,'' he contended.

''But the chief minister was in the habit of announcing certain policy decisions without taking the house into confidence and the Speaker was always protecting him,'' Mr Mishra said, adding that chief minister's announcement was in ''utter disregard'' to the dignity of the house and urged the Speaker to uphold the assembly's dignity and disapprove the action.

Speaker Maheswar Mohanty said he would give his ruling only after examining the privilege notice submitted by Mr Mishra.

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