The Mahanadi river water issue rocked Odisha Assembly for the third successive day prompting Speaker Pradip Amat to convene an all party meeting where it was decided to discuss the matter by way of a motion ON Friday.
The resolution came after repeated disruptions with the Congress stalling proceedings and the BJP joining the protests. Speaker Mr Amat said the government chief whip had given notice for discussion on the Mahanadi river water issue as had the Leader of Opposition Mr Narasingha Mishra.
But the rules and procedures do not permit such a discussion when budgetary demands are scheduled. He then went on to invite leaders of all parties to discuss and take a call.
Leader of Opposition, Mr Mishra , drew the Speaker’s attention to how he was not given a chance to speak even when he was on his feet. The practice is to allow the Leader of Opposition to speak.
I wanted to suggest on Thursday that the question hour be suspended for discussion on the Mahanadi issue, he noted. The ruling party members had disrupted the question hour yesterday and the Speaker adjourned it till 3 p.m.
This is when a senior ruling party member often in the past alleged that disruption of question hour by opposition is murder and burial of democracy. Does it mean that the ruling BJD has buried democracy, he quipped.
Mishra questioned the sincerity of the government on the Mahanadi issue and pointed out that the committee headed by the Chief Minister in this regard has never met.
Had it met, a resolution to the problem or a proper way would have evolved he said. The leader of opposition said the Speaker can suspend any rule to accommodate and allow a discussion on Mahanadi, he said.
BJP MLA Rabi Naik also wanted a discussion and said the government should produce a White Paper with details on flow of water over the last decade etc.