Odisha's budget session to be a stormy affair

BHUBANESWAR:The budget session of the Assembly beginning from March 20 is likely to be a stormy affair as the opposition Congress and BJP are going to raise a host of issues to corner the Government.
After the victory in the by-election to Bijepur Assembly constituency with an overwhelming margin, the BJD is likely to target the four-year-old Narendra Modi Government at the Centre for non-fulfilment of promises. Besides, the BJD will resort to its old tactic of Central neglect and raise issues including non-revision of minimum support price (MSP) on paddy and rejection of the State Government’s demand to create three new railway divisions under the East Coast Railway (ECR).

“The Centre delayed the formation of tribunal on Mahanadi river water dispute and ignored Odisha’s demand to ensure that construction activities by Chhattisgarh Government in the upper catchment areas of Mahanadi river are stopped,” Deputy Government Chief Whip Rohit Pujari said. The BJD will also raise the Polavaram dam project built unilaterally by Andhra Pradesh and other issues to target the Centre for neglecting Odisha, he added.

The BJD legislature party (BJPLP) will meet here on Monday to discuss the strategy to be adopted by the party during the budget session.Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly and Congress veteran Narasingh Mishra said his party would raise issues like acute shortage of drinking water, large scale vacancies in the posts of doctor and teacher in rural areas and anti-farmer policies of the State Government during the session. The quality of education has gone down because of lack of teachers and buildings of many schools are in dilapidated condition.

Stating that though the farmers are on an agitation for several days now, Mishra said there is no response from the Government so far. Besides, growing difference between the rich and poor points towards the failure of the Centre and the State governments, he said.

Alleging that the State Government has failed to take any step to solve the growing unemployment problem, Mishra said the all-party committees constituted on different issues including Mahanadi river water dispute, railway and environment are not functioning. “The institution to which we are elected is going to be paralysed,” he said.

Meanwhile, the BJP legislature party will meet to discuss strategy for the session on Monday, said its secretary Rabi Narayan Naik.The deteriorating law and order situation, formation of tribal councils with a political notice and neglect of farmers will be major issues to be raised by the party during the session, he added.