Rotten dal plates replace pen and note-book in Orissa Assembly

Bhubaneswar, Feb 15 (PTI) Leaf plates full of rottendal replaced pen and note-book on the reporters table at theOrissa Assembly today as opposition Congress members disruptedsecond day of the budget session demanding action against allthose involved in pulses scam.

Unable to conduct business due to noisy protest andslogan shouting by Congress MLAs in well, Speaker Pradip KumarAmat adjourned the House twice.

The House witnessed pandemonium as soon as itassembled for the day. Seeking suspension of question hour,leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh demanded action againstthose involved in irregularities of purchase and supply ofrotten pulses to children and pregnant women.

Singh said people responsible for "poisoning" food ofschool kids and pregnant mothers must be arrested.

Congress MLAs Anup Sai, Debi Prasad Chand and SubalSahu rushed to well holding plates of rotten dal and placedthem on the Speaker''s table which were removed by marshals.

However, Congress members continued their protest bykeeping dal plates on the reporters table. "We collectedrotten dal fed to children and women in various districts,"said Sai.

Party''s chief whip Prasad Harichandan alleged thatthough "spurious" dal were supplied in all the districts, thevigilance department wound up its probe after investigatinginto allegations from only five districts.

However, the BJP members who created disturbanceduring governor''s address on the first day of the sessionyesterday, were seen participating in the question hours.

Denouncing noise by opposition, Chief Minister NaveenPatnaik said outside the House: "The government is ready toprobe specific allegations if received from other districts".

Patnaik said the state government had already orderedcriminal action against those found guilty.

"Opposition should help in ensuring normalcyin the house for a healthy debate on any issues," he said.

Terming dal scam as "inhumane", BJP''s Jay NarayanMishra demanded a full debate on it.