Bhubaneswar, Aug 1 (IANS): The Opposition BJP and the Congress members on Monday stalled Odisha Assembly proceedings demanding debate on chit fund scam and farmers' issues.
Due to steep protests by the Opposition members, the first half of the day was completely washed away.
The house was adjourned four times including the last one till 4 p.m.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators had given a notice for discussion on an adjournment motion on chit fund scam.
However, Speaker Bikram Keshari Arukha has rejected it. In protest of such a move by the Speaker, the BJP members created a ruckus in the house.
On the other hand, the Congress members insisted on a debate on the farmers' issue including non-payment of crop insurance claims by private companies and due to scanty rainfall in some pockets of the state.
As soon as the house assembled for the day at 10.30 a.m., the BJP and Congress lawmakers, shouting slogans, rushed to the Well of the house and demanded discussion of the above issues.
Before adjourning the house, the Speaker said the notice moved by the BJP discussion on chit fund scam was rejected as the issue was not a recent occurrence and it is sub-judice.
As per the rules of the business of the Odisha assembly, such issues could not be taken up for discussion, Arukha said.
Later, the Speaker conveyed an all-party meeting, but it failed to resolve the logjam.
Speaking to reporters outside the assembly, BJP chief whip Mohan Majhi said: "We had moved a notice for an adjournment motion on chit fund scam. However, the Speaker neither rejected nor accepted it."
It seems that the Speaker in league with the government is trying to murder the democracy, he alleged.
Though the insurance companies have collected crores of rupees, the farmers are yet to get insurance claims raised for the kharif 2021 crops, said Congress MLA Santosh Singh Saluja.
Similarly, the western Odisha region including Bolangir district has received scanty rainfall during June and July. Therefore, cancelling all other businesses, the drought like situation should be discussed in the house, he said.