Odisha Assembly fails to transact any business after BJP & Cong members disrupt proceedings
Bhubaneswar, Nov 22 (Representative) Odisha Assembly on Wednesday could not transact any business as Members of the opposition BJP and the Congress created a ruckus in the house over the cabinet decision to allow sale of land by tribals in scheduled areas to non-tribals. The entire day was washed out and the house could not transact any business after the members of the opposition BJP and Congress carrying placards trooped into the well of the house and demanded the withdrawal of the November 14 Cabinet decision to allow the tribals to sell their land to non-tribals forcing Speaker Pramila Mallik to adjourn the house four times. The Speaker adjourned the house thrice in the pre-lunch session at 1032 till 1200, and 1200hrs till 1245 and 1246hrs till 1600hrs.
In the post-lunch session, the Speaker adjourned the house at 1602 hours till Thursday after Revenue Minister Sudam Marndi introduced the Odisha Land Reforms (Second Amendment) Bill 2023 amidst slogan shouting by the opposition members. The house conducted business only for about five minutes— three minutes in the first half and around two minutes in the second half due to the agitation by opposition members. The problem arose right from the beginning. As soon as the house assembled at 1030hrs to conduct the question hour business, the BJP members carrying placards and shouting slogans trooped into the well of the house demanding the government to withdraw the November 14 cabinet decision allowing the tribals in scheduled areas to sell their land to non-tribals. Soon the members of the Congress also joined the BJP members disrupted the proceedings and demanded the withdrawal of the decision. The Speaker adjourned the house from 1032 hrs till 1200 hrs as the agitation continued. The speaker adjourned the house for 45 minutes and called an all-party meeting to resolve the problem.
As the all-party meeting failed to break the ice, the Speaker again adjourned the house at 1246 hours till 1600 hrs. There was no change in the situation after the house assembled at 1600hrs after the adjournment. The opposition members again rushed to the well and continued their agitation. Amidst the slogan shouting Revenue Minister Sudam Marndi introduced the the Odisha Land Reforms (Second Amendment ) Bill 2023 The Speaker adjourned the house till Thursday after the bill was referred to the Business Advisory Committee. Outside the house, Opposition Chief Whip Mohan Majhi said they had given the notice to discuss the issue through a motion canceling all other business of the house but the Speaker rejected it.
Congress leader Tara Bahinipati also demanded the complete withdrawal of the decision and to enactment of the PESA act in the state. 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 Two days after the decision on November 17 Revenue Minister Sudam Marndi on his social media account X said ‘’The proposed Amendment to Regulation-2 of 1956 discussed in the Cabinet meeting held on 14th November 2023, regarding the transfer of Tribal lands, has been withholding,” The cabinet had decided that a member of the ST community could gift a land parcel to a nontribal for agriculture or industrial purposes, exchange for public purposes, or obtain a loan by mortgaging a plot of land in a public financial institution for agriculture, construction of residential house, higher studies of children, self-employment, business or establishment of small-scale industries. Opposition Chief Whip Mohan Majhi said the government is anti-tribal and the cabinet decision is a conspiracy against tribals to loot their land and make them landless and demanded to completely withdraw it.