Ruckus in Odisha Assembly session over audit of Biju Yuva Vahini accounts

BHUBANESWAR:  The question hour of monsoon session of the Assembly was a wash out for the 10th consecutive day on Wednesday with uproar by members of both opposition and treasury benches forcing repeated adjournments of the House.

As soon as the House assembled for the day and question hour began, Congress and BJP members trooped into the well and created a din by shouting slogans against the State Government. While Congress members protested the non-acceptance of an adjournment notice over deteriorating law and order situation in the State, the BJP legislators created ruckus opposing alleged financial irregularities in the State Government’s Biju Yuva Vahini (BYV) programme.

On the other hand, the BJD MLAs raised slogan against objectionable remarks made by friend of a former BJD MP on  the Sun Temple at Konark and Lord Jagannath.Two members of the BJP protested the State Government’s non-cooperation with office of the Accountant General for a special audit into the expenditure under BYV by wearing black jackets.

Amid pandemonium, leader of BJP legislature party KV Singhdeo criticised the State Government for misutilising public money to promote Biju Janata Dal for political gain.Though the office of the Accountant General has deputed a team of officers to collect documents from the Sports and Youth Services department for a concurrent audit of Biju Yuva Vahini scheme, the Department expressed its inability to cooperate with the audit team till the Hockey World Cup is over.

Singhdeo said as per the letter of Deputy Accountant General Jyoti Chaurasia to the Secretary of Sports and Youth Services, an audit team headed by senior audit officer Subrat Kumar Nayak has been deputed to collect information about the objective, source of funding, annual allocation and amount of fund released, implementing agency, selection of beneficiaries, measures to maintain transparency and monitoring of the programme.

Maintaining that the audit is proposed by some legislators of the Odisha Legislative Assembly, Chaurasia said the proposed audit will be undertaken at district, block, Urban Local Body and panchayat level.
Recently, a delegation of BJP MLAs led by Singhdeo had met the Principal Accountant General  requesting for a special audit into the State-sponsored BYV and ‘Ama Gaon Ama Vikash’ schemes. 
As some members tried to scale the Speaker’s podium, Pradip Kumar Amat adjourned the House initially till 11.30 am and later till 3 pm as noisy scenes prevailed even after the House reassembled.