Orissa Assembly adjourned sine die

Bhubaneswar, Apr 5 (UNI) The budget session of the Orissa Assembly was today adjourned sine die by Speaker Maheswar Mohanty.

The session commenced on February 3 last and continued till February 21 when it was adjourned for a brief period till March 9 last.

The Ganjam hooch tragedy which claimed 25 lives and the naxalite attack on R Udayagiri town rocked the house.

The budget session witnesseds series of adjournments leading to pandemonium and bedlam as the Opposition stalled the proceedings of the house for nine long days demanding resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and State Excise Minister Kalandi Behera.

Subsequently, the entire Opposition boycotted the session for five days consecutively demanding proper security to the members.

Leader of Opposition J B Pattnaik alleged the opposition members were no more safe inside the house as they were not only assaulted by the ruling party members but also by the security staff both inside and outside the assembly.

For the first time in the history of the Orissa Assembly, the Appropriation Bill was debated and passed in the absence of the Opposition members.

During the session Orissa Minister of State for Water Resources Science and Technology Rabi Narayan Nanda tendered his resignation in the wake of Opposition allegation for his involvement in a liquor tragedy case.

The house passed two important bills- The Orissa Agricultural Produce Markets (Amendment) Bill, 2006 and the Orissa Entertainment Tax 2005.

UNI DP KK/ LS RK2147