The delay in appointment of a Lokayukta rocked the Odisha Assembly for the second consecutive day today with Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat adjourning the proceedings thrice amid the commotion.
The members of the Congress and the BJP staged a dharna before the Speaker's podium, seeking an explanation from the government on the matter.
The Opposition members also urged Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat to solicit a reply from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in this regard.
As soon as the House assembled for the Question Hour, the Congress members, led by the Leader of the Opposition Narasingh Mishra and Opposition Chief Whip Taraprasad Bahinipati, rushed to the Well of the House, iterating their demand for a clarification from the CM on the issue.
Unable to run the House, Speaker Amat adjourned the proceedings till 11.30am
When the House reassembled for the Zero Hour, the BJP members, led by senior leader KV Singhdeo, staged a dharna near the Speaker's podium, demanding immediate implementation of the Odisha Lokayukta Act.
They were joined by the Congress MLAs soon after.
Amid the pandemonium, the Speaker adjourned the House twice again - once till 4pm and finally for the day.
"This House had passed the Odisha Lokayukta Bill in 2014 and got the president's assent in 2015. However, the government has been delaying the appointment of a Lokayukta. As the members have passed the Bill, they need to be told what led to this delay," Mishra told reporters outside the House.
It is responsibility of the speaker and the government to break the deadlock, he said.
"The speaker should ask the Chief Minister to give a clarification on the delay," he added.
Taking a jibe at the BJD government, BJP MLA Pradip Purohit said four years have passed since the bill was passed, but the government has not taken any initiative till date.
The implementation of the act would go against the bureaucrats and the ruling party leaders who are busy looting the government, he said.
Downplaying the issue, treasury bench member and BJD spokesman D S Mishra said the opposition members are raising the issue in view of Anna Hazare's agitation in Delhi.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
