Bypoll duty comes in way of critical Odisha house business

Eight. For that many days out of 33, the Odisha State Assembly conducted business in its winter session. The House convened on November 24 and ended 25 days ahead of the scheduled date. It adjourned sine die after passing the appropriation bill for the first supplementary budget for 2022–23.

Expectedly, the Opposition was fuming. But the fleeting session is hardly surprising. Truncated sessions have become a pattern for the state legislature as meeting for the mandated 60 sitting days in a calendar year has become more of an aberration than a norm under the current regime.

In the last two decades, there have been only three years when the 60-day sitting mandate has been met. The Biju Janata Dal government often uses the defence of the absence of adequate legislative business leading to premature adjournment. However, the fact is that the House must remain in session to discuss and debate critical issues, which are at the core of the parliamentary process. But a shortened session was not the only issue of concern.

The winter session saw the government present the supplementary budget before the House, and something unprecedented happened on that day.

Panchayati Raj Minister Pradip Kumar Amat—not Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari—tabled it because the latter was absent. Opposition parties were aghast and alleged that Pujari was busy electioneering for the Padampur bypoll.

Pujari, interestingly, also happens to be the parliamentary affairs minister of the state. This meant one of the most important businesses of the session was conducted in the absence of the minister whose presence was critical from the legislative point of view and would have proved the BJD government meant business.

After Covid disrupted every sector and aspect of life in March 2020, this was the first time the State Assembly met physically and without any curbs.

Alas, that, too, was short-lived, and it sent the message that the BJD government cares little for sound legislative practices. It was not further from the truth because most ministers and MLAs of the Naveen Patnaik government were campaigning in western Odisha, entrusted with bypoll duties when the House was in session. Legislators are bound by duty to participate in the House’s discussions and debates for the very people who elect them.

Elections are fought to be won, but legislative duties are of paramount interest and must come first.