Orissa Assembly was stalled today as Opposition Congress stormed into the well alleging involvement of two ministers in the coal scam and demanding a statement by the chief minister besides a debate on the issue.
As soon as the House assembled for the day, Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh drew the Speaker’s attention to reports on alleged involvement of Urban Development Minister Badrinarayan Patra and School and Mass Education Minister Pratap Jena in the coal scam and demanded a debate on the matter suspending question hour.
Singh said the two BJD ministers were allegedly involved in the coal scam during their tenure as the chairman of state-owned Orissa Small Scale Industries Corporation
As his plea went unheeded, other Congress members trooped into the well and some of them tried to climb the Speaker’s table to press for their demand, leading to uproar in the House on the opening day of the second phase of the monsoon session after a fortnight long break.
As Speaker Pradip Amat’s plea for order to allow the question hour before taking up any other matter fell on deaf ears, he adjourned the House for an hour.
When the House reassembled, the opposition was informed that the government was ready for discussion on an adjournment motion moved by them on coal scam.
While Congress members insisted that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik make a statement on the alleged involvement of the two ministers in the coal scam, Parliamentary Affairs and Industries Minister Raghunath Mohanty said he was ready to reply as the chief minister was away in Delhi for a meeting.
As pandemonium resurfaced with Congress members storming into the well, the house was again adjourned till 3 pm.
