Pandemonium in Orissa Assembly over KBK programme

Bhubaneswar, Aug 11 (UNI) Pandemonium prevailed in the Orissa Assembly over the discontinuance of the Revised Long Term Action Plan (RLTAP) for the KBK region forcing Speaker Maheswar Mohanty to adjourn the house for seven times both during the pre lunch and post lunch session.

The Opposition benches took strong exception to the statement of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the matter and the Speaker's decision to discontinue the debate and staged a noisy walk out in protest.

They charged the Chief Minister of misleading the house and described the action of the Speaker as undemocratic and aimed at gagging the Opposition.

Amid protest from the Opposition members, the Speaker declared that the debate on the KBK would be taken up tomorrow and allowed the house to pass the Special Court Bill moved yesterday.

The trouble started during the pre lunch session when treasury bench members accused the UPA government of discontinuing the RLTAP for the KBK region. They trooped into the well shouting against the UPA government.

Soon the Congress members countered the treasury bench members and said they too were concerned over the issue and wanted the house to debate over it.

As uproarious scenes continued, the Speaker adjourned the house for 15 minutes and when the house reassembled he directed the Chief Minister to make a statement on the issue amid protest from the Congress members.

The house was adjourned thrice and finally for the lunch though the Speaker agreed for a debate as demanded by the Opposition.

The post lunch session saw the house witnessing uproarious scenes and the Speaker was forced to adjourn the house for four times and abruptly discontinue the debate. This led to noisy walk out by the angry opposition who vehemently opposed the Speaker's ruling to discontinue the debate.

UNI DP BA VD VC2223