Orissa Assembly adjourned sine die

Bhubaneswar, July 13 (UNI) The Budget session of the Orissa Assembly was today adjourned sine die by Speaker Maheswar Mohanty.

The first phase of the session commenced on June 1 to take up the Budget for 2007-2008 and continued till June 8. The second phase began on June 25 and the house altogether had as many as 24 sittings.

The mining lease to Vedant, political funding by Vedant group, the POSCO project and the eating of stones by the tribals in Nuapada district figured prominently during the session leading to series of adjournments and disruption of the business of the house.

During the session,Revenue Minister Manmohan Samal announced a hike of ex gratia for loss of life in natural calamities from the existing Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh while Industry Minister B B Harichandan announced the new fee structure for admission to the Engineering and Medical Colleges in the state.

The house also adopted a bill enhancing the salary, allowances and pension of the members and brought an amendment in the Orissa Value Added Tax 2004.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also laid the report of the Commission of Inquiry into the 1999 Soran Police firing incident in which six fishermen were killed.

On the concluding day of the session today,Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik came down heavily on the recommendation of Hoda Committee describing certain provisions as unconstitutional and against the interest of the state.The Hoda committee recommendation was debated through an official motion move by Government chief whip Kishore Mohanty which lasted for over four hours.

UNI