Stepping up its demand for resignation of Odisha's Revenue and Disaster Management minister SN Patro, the Opposition Congress today demonstrated and burnt his effigies at different places of the state.
Congress MLAs demanded Patro's resignation accusing him of misleading the Assembly as well as the people by saying the UPA government had released only Rs 250 crore from NDRF against the Prime Minister's announcement of Rs 1,000 crore advance for relief and rehabilitation of victims of cyclone Phailin and subsequent floods.
Though Patro later corrected his statement and announced in the Assembly that the state had received Rs 750 crore from NDRF, the Congress members demanded an apology and his resignation.
"The minister made this statement to create an impression among the people that the Centre neglected Odisha," said Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh.
While the party MLAs announced their plan to continue the stir inside the Assembly demanding Patro's resignation, Congress leaders and activists burnt effigies at Cuttack, Kendrapara, Balangir and Ganjam.
"This is not the first time that Patro made this mistake. He had to tender apology in the Assembly on March 24, 2011 for misleading the House on central assistance for floods that year," Congress Chief Whip Prasad Harichandan said.
Meanwhile, according to the decision of the Assembly's Business Advisory Committee, the ruling BJD would move a motion seeking a discussion in the House on the alleged negligence by the Centre during cyclone Phailin and resultant floods. The discussion is scheduled to be held on Monday, sources said.
