Bhubaneswar, July 29 (Representative) The Odisha Assembly on Monday witnessed a ruckus by the Opposition Congress and BJD members during Zero Hour over a privilege notice on Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, forcing Speaker Surama Padhi to adjourn the house twice till 1600 hours. The trouble started when the Speaker allowed Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling to make a statement on the reservation for Agniveers of Odisha in the state’s uniformed services, announced by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. The Congress members objected to Mahaling’s statement and demanded that the breach of privilege notice moved by the party against the Chief Minister be addressed first. They sought a ruling from the Speaker.Congress member Tara Prasad Bahinipati said he had moved a breach of privilege notice against the Chief Minister for announcing a ten percent reservation for the Agniveers in the state outside the house while the Assembly is in session.Bahinipati demanded that his privilege notice against the Chief Minister be referred to the Privilege Committee of the Assembly. He was supported by Congress Legislature Party leader Ram Chandra Kadam. The Congress members then trooped into the well of the house and shouted slogans in support of their demands. The Opposition BJD members also supported the Congress on this issue. The party’s Chief Whip Pramila Mallick and member Ganeswar Behera demanded that the Chief Minister come to the house and apologize for making the statement on the reservation for the Agniveers in the state’s uniformed services outside the Assembly when the house is in session.
While the Congress members raised slogans inside the well of the house, the BJD members were seen protesting on the issue while standing on their seats.BJP member Irashis Acharya took exception to a news item that appeared in a local daily about the privilege notice being moved by the Congress member when such a privilege notice had not been moved in the house.As the house plunged into chaos, the Speaker adjourned it at 1201 hours to 12:21 hours for twenty minutes. When the house reassembled after the adjournment, the Congress members reiterated their demand to send the privilege notice against the Chief Minister to the Privilege Committee of the Assembly. When the Speaker said she would examine the notice and give her ruling, the Congress members raised slogans insisting on their demand to send the privilege notice to the Privilege Committee. As the slogan shouting by the Opposition Congress and the BJD members continued, the Speaker, finding no other solution, adjourned the house at 1224 hours till 1600 hours. On July 26, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had announced a 10 percent reservation for Agniveers of Odisha who are not absorbed into the defence services.Before leaving for Delhi to attend the NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting, Majhi said that the Agniveer Scheme is a historic initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said the Odisha Government will provide up to 10 percent reservation in its uniformed services for those Agniveers from the state who are not absorbed into the defence forces. The State Government, Majhi further said, will also provide 5 years of age relaxation for the Agniveers in the recruitment.