Odisha Assembly was today adjourned sine die, 12 days ahead of schedule, due to pandemonium and protests since the start of the winter session by opposition Congress and BJP MLAs who stuck to their single point demand for a discussion on the chit-fund scam issue.
"The second session of the 15th Odisha Legislative Assembly is adjourned sine die as per the recommendation of the House," Speaker Niranjan Pujari announced after a motion in this regard moved by government chief whip Ananta Das was adopted.
Both the opposition parties, Congress and BJP, did not participate in the valedictory session as they had staged a walkout in protest against the refusal to allow a discussion on the multi-crore chit-fund scam.
"We have decided to walk out of the House against the government and the ruling party's attitude towards opposition and lack of protection from the Speaker," Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra of Congress said before leading the walkout.
Later, Congress MLAs held a sit-in near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the assembly premises. The Congress members refused to return to the House in protest even as the government chief whip requested them to participate in valedictory programme.
BJP MLAs led by their legislature party leader Basant Panda also walked out of the House after failing to draw attention of the Speaker on distress sale of paddy in western Odisha districts. They also placed some paddy grain on the speaker's desk. As Pujari did not pay any heed towards them, the angry BJP members walked out of the House.
"We walked out of the House protesting the speaker's denial of a discussion of the chitfund issue as well as government's lack of concern towards distress sale of paddy," said BJP leader Basant Panda.
In his valedictory address, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said at least eight Bills including the Appropriation Bill, No-2 had been passed during the 14 days of sitting. He thanked all for the conduct of the session.
"The members of the opposition continuously disrupted proceedings of the House. Many issues of public importance could not be discussed due to pandemonium," Patnaik told reporters outside the assembly.
Dubbing the government's act of reducing the sitting days of the session as "autocratic", Congress leader Narasingha Mishra said, "Chief Minister did not discuss with opposition."
BJP leader Panda said, "the government ran away from the House fearing discussion on chitfund issue. This is because, ruling BJD leaders are involved in the scam."
The winter session which commenced on November 20 witnessed pandemonium, walkouts, protests and ruckus on all the 14 sitting days as the opposition Congress, BJP and treasury bench members opposed each other over the chitfund issue.
Even the last day of the session today witnessed ruckus with the Speaker adjourning the proceeding at least three times in view of the disturbances.
Though the winter session was scheduled to run till December 20, it abruptly ended today.
