Orissa Opposition ‘run’ adjourned assembly

With the Orissa assembly having been adjourned sine die and the BJP and Congress on dharna since Saturday, the Opposition members said today that they would “run” the House till the concluding day of the Winter Session.

“We are running the House. Debi Prasad Chand of Congress is presiding over the proceedings,” Congress stalwart and Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh told reporters outside the state assembly.

Though Mr. Chand was “presiding” he did not occupy the Speaker’s chair, Mr. Singh said.

The Winter Session is scheduled to conclude on December 19.

Mr. Singh and his party member S S Saluja claimed that the ’Question Hour’ was held with queries on departments like Home, Water Resources, Works, Forest and General administration.

Commenting on the development, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said “This is something highly irregular. I don’t see any reason behind the activities of the Opposition. The whole exercise is obviously meant to get some kind of publicity.”

Dismissing the Opposition allegation that the House was adjourned sine die in violation of rules, he said there was nothing new in it as such adjournments had been made in the past too.