Odisha House adjourns over demand to make Odia official

Odisha assembly witnessed repeated adjournments today as opposition Congress and BJP members created din demanding implementation of the Orissa Official Language Act, 1954 on the birth anniversary of Utkal Gourav Madhusudan Das today.
As soon as the house assembled for question hour, Congress members rushed to the well with placards and demanded immediate amendment of the Act from today itself as a mark of respect to Utkal Gourav Madhusudan Das.
Unable to conduct business as the din continued in the well of the house, Speaker Niranjan Pujari first adjourned proceedings till 12.15 PM and later till 3 PM.
As Congress members attempted to climb the speaker's podium demanding implementation of the act, BJP MLAs were on their feet and supported the opposition demand.

Replying to the opposition demand, BJD spokesman and MLA Samir Ranjan Dash said the state government has been doing its best to use Odia as official language. Steps were taken to establish Odia language chair at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi.
He also asked what the Congress was doing in this regard when it had been in power for a long time.
Normalcy returned in the House when it reassembled at 3 pm.