August 14th 2024.
The Biju Janata Dal, the opposition party, made an announcement on Wednesday that they will not be attending the two-day orientation programme organized by the Odisha Assembly in Bhubaneswar. This decision was made due to a fixed schedule for the event that they believe needs to be rectified. The orientation programme is currently scheduled for August 17 and 18.
The BJD, who holds 51 out of the 147 seats in the Assembly, has taken a firm position against the current schedule. They have pointed out that as per the schedule, the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will inaugurate the function, and the Union Health Minister JP Nadda will address the valedictory session. This has raised concerns as both of these leaders are not members of the House, as stated by Pratap Keshari Deb, the BJD deputy chief whip in the Assembly.
It is customary for either the Chief Minister, who is the Leader of the House, or the Speaker to be the chief guest at the inaugural and valedictory sessions. However, this time, there has been a departure from the norm, which has caused serious concern for the BJD. "It almost feels like a BJP party programme. It is not appropriate for outsiders to address the Assembly programme when the Chief Minister and the Speaker are present," stated the BJD leader. He also emphasized the importance of maintaining the dignity of the Speaker and Chief Minister and requested the Speaker to reconsider the current schedule. If not, the BJD will not be attending the programme.
Ganeswar Behera, another senior BJD MLA, pointed out that not only has the orientation programme disregarded the tradition of the Odisha Assembly, but it also lacks respect towards the Leader of Opposition, Naveen Patnaik. The purpose of the orientation programme is to familiarize the newly elected MLAs with the rules and procedures of the Assembly, the functioning of various Committees, the budgetary process, the privileges and conduct of members, and the use of the National e-Vidhan Application, according to an Assembly official.
In addition to Union Ministers Jual Oram and Bhartruhari Mahtab, former state ministers Prafulla Ghadai and Narasingha Mishra are also scheduled to address the new MLAs during the orientation programme. Senior MLAs will also participate in different sessions of the programme, as per the information provided.
Out of the 147 members in the Odisha Assembly, BJP holds 78 seats, BJD holds 51, Congress holds 14, and there are three independents and one CPI member. Among these, 82 are first-timers. This makes it a crucial and significant event for the newly elected MLAs to gain a better understanding of the Assembly's functioning.
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