Stormy Assembly session in Orissa

Bhubaneswar, Mar 20 (UNI) With the Opposition in Orissa adamant on bringing a no confidence motion against Speaker Maheswar Mohanty, the ruling BJD-BJP today decided to raise central negligence to the state on the floor of the Assembly beginning here tomorrow.

The joint legislature party meeting of the BJD-BJP, presided by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, here unanimously resolved to face jointly the no confidence motion of the Congress against the Speaker and bring official motion on price rise to embarrass the Opposition Congress.

Briefing mediapersons after the joint legislature party meeting, State Panchayati Raj Minister Raghunath Mohanty said the Centre's apathy towards the development of Orissa would be discussed at length in the short session of the House.

He cited the Centre's negligence in releasing the flood assistance to the state and non release of fund for the Rajiv Gandhi Bidyut Yojana during the last two years.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik told mediaperson that the alliance was ready to debate all the issues raised by the Opposition in the House. He, however, hoped the Opposition would behave democratically in the Assembly.

The Opposition Congress also resolved to raise the large scale irregularities in the just concluded Panchayati Raj elections in the state, the deteriorating law and order situation and press for a no confidence motion against the Speaker for violating the code of conduct during the Panchayat elections.

The Opposition, led by Leader of Opposition J B Patnaik, yesterday met Governor Rameswar Thakur and urged him not to address the session sharing the podium with the Speaker against whom a criminal case has been filed at the direction of the State Election Commission for violating the code of conduct.

UNI