The proposal to hike passenger fares across the board in the Railway Budget for 2012-13 sparked uproar in the state assembly with members of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) spewing venom on the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre.
Irate BJD legislators also blamed the UPA government for neglecting Orissa's concerns in the Railway Budget and demanded roll back of the fare hike. As the members of the treasury benches and Opposition Congress clashed with each other, creating pandemonium, the speaker Pradeep Amat was forced to adjourn the house repeatedly.
“Orissa has been neglected yet again in this year's Railway Budget. As against the state's demand of Rs 2,345 crore, only Rs 714 crore has been allocated. Under the leadership of the speaker, members of the house committee had called on the Railways minister in New Delhi and put forth the demand in the interest of the state. The amount was worked out after having consensus among all members. All members of the house, cutting across party lines, need to protest against this Railway Budget”, said Sanjay Das Burma, the BJD MLA from Brahmagiri in Puri district.
Ananta Das, another BJD MLA said, “This Railway Budget is not just an insult to Orissa but also to the speaker and the house. Let the Prime Minister resign over the issue of fare hike. All members of the house including those from the Opposition Congress and BJP had collectively gone to meet the Railways minister and placed the state's legitimate demand. It is very unfortunate that the Centre has not heeded the state's concerns.”
Other members from the ruling party including Jivan Pradip Dash and Pravat Ranjan Biswal as well as Amar Prasad Satapathy from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) also voiced their opposition to the Railway Budget.
Passenger fares have been raised across the board in the current Budget with the hike ranging from two paisa per km to 30 paisa per km depending on the class of rail travel. Unfazed by the attack of the BJD members, the Opposition Congress remained adamant on their demand for resignation of minister for revenue and disaster management S N Patra over declaration of package for drought hit farmers.
For the second consecutive day, the Congress legislators had created ruckus in the house over the announcement of the relief package. On Wednesday, the Congress MLAs had even trooped to the well, displaying placards against the minister.