Death of agitated employee rocks J'khand Assembly

Ranchi, Mar 20 (UNI) Death of a fourth grade employee, who immolated himself demanding promotion under the Assured Career Promotion(ACP) scheme, rocked the Jharkhand Assembly today, forcing Speaker Alamgir Alam to adjourn the House twice before recess.

As the House assembled for the day's proceedings, the BJP-led Opposition raised the issue of deceased employee Brigu Pandey and shouted anti-government slogans.

Accusing the state's UPA-backed Madhu Koda government of being responsible for death of Pandey, the Opposition said it would be marked as ''black day'' in state's history.

Pandey, along with two others, immolated themselves before the State Secretariat on March 7.

Two of them received minor injuries, whereas Pandey was shifted Safdarganj hospital at New Delhi where he succumbed to his burn injuries last evening.

Demanding resignation from the government on the issue, suspended BJP MLA Pradeep Yadav said the state government turned a deaf ear to employees' the demand forcing them to take the extreme step.

Amidst the Opposition's acrimony, Mr Alam adjourned the House for ten minutes at about 1120 hrs.

As the House assembled for the second time, the Opposition members relentlessly shouted anti-government slogans.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Madhu Koda and Deputy Chief Stephen Marandi tried to come up with a clarification on the issue but the Opposition did not give any chance to them.

Reacting to the Opposition's behaviour on the floor, Sukhdeo Bhagat (Congress) said the former were not cooperating to resolve the issue.

Another Deputy Chief Minister Sudhir Mahto accused the Opposition of provoking the employees to commit such an act.

In between Raghubar Das(BJP) informed the House that the judge of local court had been shot at in Jamshedpur in broad daylight today.

Mr Das demanded to lodge FIR against the government and ministers on the issue.

Mr Alam requested the members to provide space to the government to present its stand on the issue but the Opoosition stuck to their demand forcing the former to adjourn the House for the second time at about 1140 hrs for more than a hour.

UNI XC-AM LL PK RK1552