Odisha Speaker B. K. Arukha adjourns Assembly twice

As the House remained adjourned, the members of the ruling Biju Janata Dal staged a sit-in near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the Assembly premises demanding rise of MSP on paddy by the Central government.

The Odisha Assembly, on November 25, witnessed a ruckus over the farmers issue by both treasury and Opposition members forcing Speaker B. K. Arukha to adjourn the proceeding twice till the post lunch session.

As soon as the House assembled for the Question Hour at 10.30 a.m., the Opposition Congress and the BJP members were already present at the well and shouted anti-government slogans holding the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) dispensation of adopting "anti-farmer" approach.

While some of the agitating Opposition members attempted to climb the Speaker’s podium, the ruling BJD members also rushed to well of the House leading to a face-off situation forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House for one hour till 11.30 a.m.

As the House re-assembled and sloganeering continued, the Speaker announced his decision to adjourn the proceeding till post lunch session at 4 p.m.

While Opposition members accused the State government of adopting "anti-farmer" stand in payment of crop insurance, drought input subsidy and paddy procurement difficulties, the BJD members blamed the BJP-led Central government of not hiking the minimum support price (MSP) to paddy cultivators and not implementing the recommendations of the M.S. Swaminathan Committee recommendation for raising income of farmers.

As the House remained adjourned, the members of the ruling Biju Janata Dal staged a sit-in near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the Assembly premises demanding rise of MSP on paddy by the Central government. The Treasury Bench members including Ministers later marched to Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum to Governor demanding ₹2,930 per quintal MSP on paddy.