SC/ST members stall Orissa Assembly over promotion issue

Bhubaneswar,Nov 24 (UNI) Scheduled caste and scheduled tribe MLAs cutting across party lines, today stalled the proceedings of Orissa Assembly to protest the violation of Orissa Reservation Act by the state government.

The House witnessed pandemonium as the members from the Treasury benches and Opposition were seen in the well to lodge their protest on the discrimination shown to the SC/ST officials for the promotion and sought the Speaker's intervention into it.

Speaker Maheswar Mohanty tried to pacify the agitated members saying he would examine the matter and act accordingly but the members demanded that the business of the House be suspended to take up the issue.

Seeing the Opposition and Treasury bench members in a no compromise mood, the Speaker adjourned the House for 15 minutes at 1210 hours and again for another 15 minutes at 1225 hours.

The House reassembled at 1240 hours to take up other business, but the members remained adamant in their stand and refused to accept the Speaker's observation that he would examine the violation of the ORV Act and the Supreme Court guidelines and give his ruling.

Unable to bring the House into order, the Speaker then adjourned the house to 1300 hours and finally for lunch.

The trouble started during the zero hour when ruling BJD member Ranendra Pratap Swain through special mention, drew the Speaker's attention on the recent promotion of two OAS officer in clear violation of the Supreme Court guidelines.

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