Furore in Orissa Assembly over BPL list

Bhubaneswar, Mar 25 (UNI) The Orissa Assembly today witnessed furore as the members from the treasury bench trooped into the well shouting anti-UPA government slogans in protest against striking down of ten lakh families from the BPL list.

The House witnessed a chaotic situation as the Opposition also rushed into the well to counter the agitating members forcing Deputy Speaker Prahallad Dora to adjourn the House for 30 minutes.

The House reassembled at 1232 hours but was again adjourned for 10 minutes by the Deputy Speaker as uproarious scenes continued to dominate the proceedings with the Opposition Congress and Treasury bench members accusing each other.

The trouble began during the Zero Hour, when BJD member Pradeep Maharathi, drew the chair's attention to a news item on the Centre's decision to delete 10 lakh families from the state BPL list.

Soon the members from the BJD and BJP joined the issue and brandished the paper clippings demanding a debate on the issue.

As the Opposition members protested, the treasury bench members trooped into the well and shouted slogans against the Centre for showing what they alleged ''step motherly'' attitude towards the state.

Mr Maharathi said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had urged Union Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh not to delete the names of 10 lakh families from the BPL list but in vain.

The Centre, he said had even threatened to stop providing fund for the Indira Awas Yojana from April 1 next.

This caused much commotion in the House with the treasury bench members occupying the well and disrupting the business.

Both the government Chief whip and Deputy Chief Whip tried to persuade the members to return to their seats but Mr Maharathi (BJD) and Rabi Nayak (BJP) did not oblige and insisted a discussion over the issue.

Pandemonium prevailed in the House as the Opposition members also rushed to the well to counter the treasury bench members. Sensing trouble ahead, the Deputy Speaker adjourned the house for 30 minutes.

The issue again rocked the House during an adjournment motion when Congress MLA Nalini Mohanty, rising on a point of order, alleged that the BPL list was reduced during the NDA regime and blamed the BJD-BJP government for not taking up the issue for a long time.

Soon the House witnessed ruckus with members from the Treasury bench and Opposition shouting slogan and counter slogans defending their position.

Unable to bring the situation in order, the Deputy Speaker adjourned the house for ten minutes.

The matter later subsided when the House reassembled after the second adjournment to take up the motion on the construction of dams and diversion weirs by the Andhra Pradesh government over Mahendra Tanaya river.

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