The Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste legislators belonging to opposition Congress and BJP who were staging a dharna in front of Chief Minister’s chamber in the Odisha Assembly demanding 38 per cent quota for tribal and Dalit students in medical and engineering colleges were evicted from the spot on Thursday.
The legislators resumed their dharna even as impasse continued inside the Assembly over the chit fund scam for the eighth consecutive working day on Thursday. They are also demanding proper implementation of Odisha Reservation of Vacancies (ORV) Act.
Since the House could not function normally in the pre-lunch session as legislators of Congress and BJP stalled the proceedings over the chit fund scam, Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra wrote a letter to Speaker Niranjan Pujari requesting him to bring the House in order.
Both the opposition parties have been demanding that that the Chief Minister should make a statement on the chit fund scam issue to restore normality in the House. The proceedings were adjourned till Friday.
On the other hand, there was a scuffle between the Assembly security staff and the agitating SC and ST legislators of the opposition when they were evicted from the place outside the Chief Minister’s chamber.
After they were taken away from outside the Chief Minister’s chamber, the legislators then sat on dharna outside the Speaker’s office despite his opposition to the holding of such dharnas inside the premises of the House.
Industrial plots
Meanwhile, the State Assembly was informed that influential individuals and organisations have cornered close to 400 high-valued industrial plots allotted by Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) in the capital city region.
According to a reply tabled by State Industries Minister Debi Prasad Mishra on Thursday, 977 industrial plots and sheds across the State have been misutilised.
Demand for 38 p.c. quota for SC and ST students in engineering and medical colleges
