Speaker adjourns Odisha Assembly

The Odisha Assembly on Monday witnessed noisy scenes and was adjourned till the post-lunch session as Congress members shouted slogans against the government calling it "anti-farmer". The BJP boycotted the proceedings demanding a CBI probe into the mysterious death of a woman panchayat official in Jajpur district. As soon as the House assembled at 10.30 am, Speaker SN Patro asked the Minister of State for Home DS Mishra to go for Question Hour while Congress members demanded withdrawal of the centralized token (authorization slip to sell paddy at government mandi) system on the paddy procurement. Congress members led by Taraprasad Bahinipati and Santosh Singh Saluja trooped into well and shouted slogans against the government calling it "anti-farmer."

'Farmers issue is very sensitive'

They alleged that farmers, who have been taking paddy to mandis (procurement centre) since November 15, are yet to sell it due to the online token system introduced by the state government at the state level. Unable to run the proceedings, the Speaker adjourned the House till 3 pm. The farmers in western districts have meanwhile launched an agitation demanding re-introduction of the token provision issued at the district level instead of the state level. "The farmers are waiting to get token for a long time to sell away their paddy. As they do not get it (token) at the proper time, the farmers go for distress sale," Congress Legislature Party Leader Narasingha Mishra told reporters outside the House. "Since farmers issue is very sensitive, Congress demands suspension of the Question Hour and go for a discussion on the distress sale of paddy," Mishra said.

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'Not possible in Punjab'

BJP MLA Jaynarayan Mishra, who represents Sambalpur in Assembly, also criticized the government's policy. "The Odisha government has introduced the state-level token system following Punjab government policy. This is not possible in Odisha. The farmers in the state need token at the local level so that they can sale away their paddy easily," he told reporters outside the Assembly. Opposition BJP members also boycotted the House and continued their dharna near the Mahatma Gandhi statue inside the Assembly premises. They have been sitting on a dharna near Gandhi statue since Saturday protesting the Speaker act of denying them to speak on the mysterious death of the woman panchayat official in Jajpur district.

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'Government must order a CBI probe'

Leader of the Opposition Pradipta Nayak said his party members will continue to boycott the House as the Speaker is not allowing them to discuss the death of the Haridaspur Panchayat Extension Officer Smitarani Biswal. "Though the police has so far arrested one person in connection with the woman panchayat officials death, four other main accused persons are still at large. One person has been arrested under section 306 of IPC (abatement) instead of 302 (murder) of the IPC and the state government must order a CBI probe into the incident," Naik said.

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