Assembly adjourned sine die a month ahead of schedule

BHUBANESWAR: The winter session of the state assembly was adjourned sine die on Sunday, a month ahead of schedule, citing no important official business even as the move was opposed by opposition parties. The session was scheduled to continue till December 31.
As the treasury bench is already under fire over the murder of a five-year-old girl in Nayagarh district and three recent self-immolation attempts outside the assembly over different issues, the BJP alleged that the government is trying to run away from genuine issues concerning people by adjourning the assembly.
“Since we have been demanding a CBI inquiry into the murder of the Nayagarh minor and expulsion of agriculture minister, Arun Sahoo, they have decided to adjourn the house for an indefinite period. The decision is undemocratic,” leader of opposition Pradipta Naik said
Talking to reporters, Congress legislature party leader Narasingha Mishra also said his party was not consulted before taking a decision to adjourn the house. “The decision was taken unilaterally by the treasury bench. We opposed it as there were many important issues for discussion,” Mishra said.
The treasury bench, however, justified the move saying such decisions were taken many times in the past. “The opposition parties have never raised any issues on proper forums. They don’t want discussions taking any issue to a logical end. The house was adjourned since there was no other important official business,” BJD MLA Pratap Keshari Deb said.
Assembly sources said the schedule to continue the session till December 31 was made to meet the constitutional norm to hold 60-days sitting in a year in three sessions. During the 10-day session that started on November 20, as many as seven bills were passed, while the supplementary budget for the current financial year was also tabled.
Earlier in the day, the BJP MLAs continued their protests in the house for the fourth consecutive day over the Nayagarh minor murder case. The BJP members also sat on a dharna near the Mahatma Gandhi statue inside the assembly premises.
“We are not only protesting against the murder of the Nayagarh minor. According to a government report, more than 5,000 minors in the state, who went missing in the past five years, have not been traced so far. We don’t believe in an SIT probe. Many such inquiries were ordered earlier, but nothing happened,” the leader of opposition said.
The important appropriation bill was passed on the last day amid protests by the BJP members in the well of the house. The bill was passed to empower the state government to spend the allocations made in the supplementary budget.