Bhubaneswar: The impasse in the Odisha Assembly persisted on the fourth day of the monsoon session on Monday, caused by significant disruptions from the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) regarding the government’s alleged efforts to diminish the authority of elected officials within the three-tier Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). As the session commenced, BJD legislators rushed to the well of the House, vocally protesting and chanting anti-government slogans near the Speaker’s podium. Meanwhile, Congress MLAs conducted a quiet protest from their seats, displaying placards that labeled both the opposition BJD and the ruling BJP as allies obstructing the House’s functioning. Despite the uproar, Speaker Surama Padhy attempted to proceed with the Question Hour.
The Law Minister was seen responding to queries from some ruling party MLAs, but the BJD’s protests remained relentless. The Speaker urged the protesting legislators to uphold order and facilitate the proceedings. Amidst the tumultuous protests by the BJD and placard demonstrations by the Congress, the Question Hour lasted briefly for about seven minutes before the Speaker had to adjourn the House until 4 p.m. In comments to the media, BJD chief whip Pramila Mallik stated, “The Panchayati Raj system has been dismantled. Since the BJP-led government assumed power, it has first halted various projects in the blocks and has since enacted several strategies to undermine the Panchayati Raj system.
The government now plans to revoke all powers granted to elected representatives under the Panchayati Raj system through various circulars.” She also called for the immediate restoration of power to elected representatives, as they previously held. Mallik criticized the government for transferring powers from elected officials at the grassroots level to government officers like the Block Development Officer. Notably, the BJD had previously announced plans to stage a gherao of the Odisha Assembly on Tuesday. In contrast, Congress CLP leader Rama Chandra Kadam accused both the ruling BJP and the main opposition BJD of collaborating to obstruct the discussion on the no-confidence motion introduced by Congress in the House through chaos.
