Budget session: Oppn to target Odisha govt over minister's murder

Bhubaneswar, Feb 20 (IANS) The budget session of Odisha assembly will be stormy as Opposition BJP and Congress have decided to target the state government over the brutal murder of minister Naba Kishore Das.

The BJP held its legislative party meeting on Monday while the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress would hold their meetings on Tuesday to prepare strategies for the session.

"A cabinet minister was killed in broad daylight by a police official. Though 23 days have passed since the murder of Naba Das, the crime branch is still in dark about the conspirator behind the murder case," said BJP chief whip Mohan Majhi.

Alleging there is no law and order in the state, Majhi said his party will raise the minister's murder case as its major issue in the budget session.

Apart from the murder case, the BJP will also raise farmers' plight, irregularities in Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), hijack of free rice scheme of central government and sexual harassment case against Tirtol BJD MLA during the session.

Similarly, the Congress party will also raise the murder case. Congress legislature party leader Narasingha Mishra said the main issue for the budget session is deteriorating law and order situation in the state.

How can the government, which has failed to protect its own minister, provide safety and security to the people and their property?, he asked.

The law and order situation has collapsed in the state. The killing of Naba Das in broad daylight by a policeman showed that 'jungle raj' prevails in the state, Mishra alleged.

The Congress leader alleged that Das' murder was not accidental. "It did not occur all of a sudden, but as a result of a deep-rooted conspiracy," claimed Mishra.

The Congress party would also raise issues like rising crime in the state, mismanagement in paddy procurement, unemployment and inflation, he informed.

On the other hand, the treasury bench has decided to raise the central government's neglect issue to counter the Opposition. The ruling party would raise reduction of the budgetary allocation for paddy procurement and discontinuation of distribution of 5 kg free rice under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY).

The BJD will also raise the issue relating to Jayanarayan Mishra, who allegedly manhandled a lady police officer.

Government chief whip Prasanta Kumar Muduli said the ruling party is always ready to discuss any issue, which is in the interest of the state and its people.

Strategy to counter the opposition will be decided at the BJD legislature party meeting to be held on Tuesday, he said.

The budget session will be held in two phases - first phase from February 21 to March 1 and second phase from from March 10 to April 6.

The budget session will start with the address of Governor Ganeshi Lal on Tuesday while the annual budget for the year 2023-24 will be presented in the House on February 24.