Cong disrupts Odisha Assembly proceedings

The farmers issue rocked the Odisha Assembly on the opening day of the budget session today with opposition Congress MLAs boycotting the governor's address and disrupting the proceedings leading to the adjournment of the house by the speaker till tomorrow.

Leader of Opposition Narashinga Mishra led the Congress members to boycott the Governor S C Jamir's address over the farmer and law and order issues.

He alleged that the state government in the Governors speech has shown a rosy picture of the state and ignored the farmers plight.

The farmer issue was raised again by Congress chief whip Taraprasad Bahinipati when Speaker P K Amat allowed government chief whip Amar Prasad Satpathy to speak on a motion of thanks on the Governor's address.

The Congress MLAs led by Bahinipati rushed to the well of the house shouting anti-government slogans and calling the BJD government "anti farmer" and demanded justice for the farmers who have been on hunger strike seeking price, pension and prestige.

They also attempted to climb the Speaker's desk and demanded a discussion on the farmer issue.

BJP members did not support the Congress on the issue.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was not present at the time as he had left the House after making obituary reference to five former members and two slain jawans.

The Congress members said that the farmers under the banner of Navanirman Krushak Sangathan (NKS) are on hunger strike demanding proper price on their produce, pension to aged cultivators and prestige for them.

Unable to run the House amidst din, Speaker Amat adjourned the proceeding till tomorrow.

"The BJD government has been unkind to farmers during its 18 years of rule," Bahinipati told reporters outside the House.

Meanwhile, hundreds of farmers agitating under the NKS banner have decided to gherao the Odisha Assembly on March 21. They are sitting on dharna since March 12 demanding Rs 21,600 crore allocation in the budget for nearly 36 lakh farmers.

"Every day hundreds of farmers are joining the protest and dozens are falling sick. Till now there has been no acknowledgment from the government," NKS convenor Akshay Kumar said.

He said, "We demand Rs 5,000 per month as pension for each farmer which comes to around Rs 21,600 crore annually for nearly 36 lakh farmers of the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)