Bhubaneswar, Nov 23 : The functioning of the Odisha Assembly was paralysed for the second consecutive day on Thursday after the opposition BJP and Congress disrupted the proceedings of the house over the tribal land sale issue.
The house could not transact any business in the first half of the session as the Speaker adjourned the house at 1032 hrs till 1600hrs due to uproar by opposition members over the issue.
The opposition members were demanding the government to allow a discussion on the issue in the House and to completely withdraw the move to allow the tribals in the scheduled areas to sell their land to non-tribals.
As soon as the house assembled to take up the question hour business, the members of the BJP and the Congress like on Wednesday trooped into the well of the house shouting slogans demanding the complete withdrawal of the government move to allow non-tribals to buy tribal land.
Even though the house plunged into a chaotic situation due to agitation by the opposition members, still the Speaker asked Water Resources Minister Tukuni Sahu to reply to a question. But her voice was not audible.
Realising that the business of the house could not be conducted smoothly the speaker adjourned the house at 1032 at 1032 hours two minutes after the house met till 1600 hours.
The question hour, the zero-hour business and other business of the house were washed out due to uproar by the opposition members.
On Wednesday also, the house could not conduct any business in the entire day except introducing a bill relating to land reform.
Odisha Cabinet on November 14 last had approved a proposal to amend the Orissa Scheduled areas Transfer of immovable property (by scheduled tribes) Regulation,1956 allowing tribals to transfer land to non-tribals in scheduled areas.
On November 17 Revenue Minister Sudam Marndi on his social media account X said, ‘’The proposed Amendment has been witheld.
Opposition Chief Whip Mohan Majhi outside the house said there is a bigger conspiracy by the government to grab the tribal land and make the tribals land less and mere suspension is not enough it should be completely withdrawn.
He said his party demanded the Speaker allow a discussion on the issue and inform of a motion, but the Speaker rejected it. As an alternative Majhi demanded the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to announce in the house that the plan has been withdrawn.
The opposition Chief Whip said his party would continue its agitation inside and outside the House and if required hit the street till their demand was met.
