Bhubaneswar, Mar 17 (UNI) Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra today appealed to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to intervene personally and convene an all-party meeting to restore normalcy in the Assembly.
The functioning of the Odisha Assembly has been paralysed for the last five days as the adamant Opposition, as well as the Treasury bench members, continued to disrupt the business of the house over their demand.
The Treasury bench members demanded an apology from BJP member Subash Panigrahi to run the Assembly stating that he had tarnished the dignity of the house by attempting to commit suicide inside the house.
The Opposition BJP and the Congress are up in arms over the apathetic attitude of the government to procure the paddy of the farmers lying in Mandis across the state.
The Congress legislature party leader who on March 15 last had requested the Chief Minister to convene an all-party meeting to break the deadlock today sought his intervention to diffuse the crisis.
In a letter to the Chief Minister, Mr Mishra said no business has been conducted after the Assembly reassembled on March 12 last. The house, he said, has been stalled by both the ruling party and the opposition on one ground or the other.
The Ruling party members, he said, had come to the middle of the house and raised slogans for the last four days.
Mr Mishra said as leader of the house it is your responsibility to intervene for the smooth functioning of the Assembly as all attempts by Speaker S N Patro to bring the house to order have failed.
He said the democracy ruling party is not supposed to create pandemonium in the house demanding action against a member of the opposition party.
If the Speaker feels that, the member has committed a breach of privilege action could be taken against him as per rules of procedure and conduct of the business of the Odisha Assembly.
The Congress leader said every day the media reports rampant corruption in the procurement of paddy and resentment among the farmers.
When the Government has already assured the house through the Parliamentary Affairs Minister to purchase paddy from genuine farmers another Minister in charge of Food Supply and Consumer welfare should not give confusing statements diluting the statement made by Parliamentary Affairs Minister.
He said ‘’ your intervention is a must’’ to give confidence to farmers that their paddy will be purchased and appealed to the Chief Minister to call an all-party meeting to assure the farmers that they will not suffer in the procurement of paddy.
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