Principal Opposition party BJD stalled the Odisha Legislative Assembly

Bhubaneswar: 13/3/25:The principal Opposition party, BJD, today stalled the Odisha Legislative Assembly proceedings demanding a debate on the controversial Polavaram project constructed by the Andhra Pradesh Government.

As soon as the House assembled for the day at 10.30 am, the BJD Members trooped into the well of the House, shouting slogans demanding a debate on the Polavaram Project.

BJD Deputy Leader Prasanna Acharya strongly objected to Speaker Surama Padhy’s rejection of their notice for a discussion on the controversial Polavaram Project.

As the House grew noisier with BJD members occupying the well and shouting slogans, the Speaker first adjourned the House at 10:35 AM till 11:30 AM.  Subsequently, the House witnessed a series of adjournments, and no business could be conducted.

BJD Members alleged that the Polavaram Project would submerge several villages in Odisha and insisted that the matter be discussed in the House in the interest of the state’s people.

On the other hand, the Congress MLAs continue to boycott the Assembly proceedings demanding that the suspension order served on their party MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati be revoked.

Instead of attending the session, Congress Members preferred to stage a demonstration near Mahatma Gandhi’s statue inside the Assembly premises in support of their demand.

Senior BJD MLA Arun Kumar Sahoo rejected the BJP’s argument and said that the Polavaram project’s design was changed during the NDA Government though it was sanctioned during the UPA government. He rejected the BJP’s argument that the matter under sub-judice cannot be discussed in the House.

“Odisha is in deep trouble over the Polavaram project. Should we wait silently till the dam project inundated our villages because the matter is sub judice?,” Shri Sahoo said.

In his reaction, BJP MLA Irasish Acharya defended the Speaker’s ruling, and said the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly, which clearly state that any matter sub-judice in a Court of Law cannot be discussed in the House.

Meanwhile, Congress Legislature Party leader Rama Chandra Kadam appealed to the Speaker to revoke the seven-day suspension order served on senior party MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati.

Due to the protest by BJD members on the Polavaram Project, the pre-lunch session of the house was completely disrupted.