Date:01/12/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/12/01/stories/2007120151910300.htm

Other States - Orissa

Reconvene Assembly session: Congress

BJD-BJP combine comes under criticism for ‘abrupt’ end to the House

J.B. Patnaik, Jayadev Jena complain to Governor
Adjournment before scheduled time termed ‘unconstitutional’

Bhubaneswar: Hitting out at the BJD-BJP combine for the ‘abrupt’ end of the Orissa Assembly’s winter session, Congress on Friday urged the Governor to direct the government to reconvene the House in order to comply with the norm of holding a minimum of 60 days sitting in a year.

Strongly opposing adjournment of the house 18 working days before completion of the session scheduled on December 22, a party delegation, led by leader of Opposition J.B. Patnaik and PCC president Jayadev Jena met Governor M.C. Bhandare at Raj Bhavan here.

“We urged the Governor to ask the government to complete the norms relating to parliamentary proceeding,” Mr. Patnaik told reporters adding that it was ‘unconstitutional’ not to hold minimum of 60 days sitting in a year.

‘Violation of norms’

“The government has tried to break the norm on different grounds,” he said adding the Congress MLAs were ready to attend the House for 18 more days.

He said the Congress would like to follow the norms and traditions of democracy.

Asked whether the party demanded dismissal of the BJD- BJP government for adjourning the house pre-mature as announced by him at a media conference earlier, Mr. Patnaik clarified that they told the Governor to dismiss the government if it failed to hold 18 more sittings by the year-end.

Mr. Patnaik said the government adjourned the House when a number of issues including Hirakud reservoir water for farmers, female foeticide, Supreme Court judgment on Vedanta issue and fake medicine were yet to be discussed.

“Therefore, it is essential to reconvene the session for taking up the issues,” he said. -PTI