Bhubaneswar: Amid protests and walkout by opposition BJP and Congress members, Speaker Pramila Mallik on Friday adjourned Odisha Legislative Assembly sine die, two business days ahead of its schedule.
The State Legislative Assembly’s budget session commenced on February 5 and is scheduled to end on February 13. However, the Speaker adjourned the House sine die this evening after the assembly passed the Odisha Appropriation (vote-on-account) Bill, 2024.
Government Chief Whip in Assembly Prashanta Muduli of BJD brought a motion to adjourn the House sine die for the remaining period stating there is no business before the House to transit.
The proposal was supported by treasury bench members Sashi Bhusan Behera and Amar Satpathy. The MLAs of Opposition BJP and Congress staged a walkout in protest against the motion.
The short-term budget session was the last session of the 16th Odisha Assembly as the state would go for polls in next one to two months.
Speaking to media persons after the conclusion of the session, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik thanked media persons for their hard work and wished them best for the future.
The MLAs, especially the senior MLAs, who may not come to the Assembly in future as they are planning to pave the way for their sons, daughters in the upcoming Assembly polls.
All the MLAs have posed for a beautiful picture with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the Assembly premises on the last day. The women members have also taken another picture to remember the special day in their political careers.
Odisha’s veteran Congress leader Suresh Kumar Routray, who had announced retirement from politics, bade farewell to the Legislative Assembly today.
Speaking to media persons, Shri Routray said, “I have turned 80. I am tired. My body can no more cope with the hectic activities of a legislator. When my two sons agreed to join politics, I decided to retire from active politics. I hope that they will take on from where I left,” he said.
“Since I have taken a firm decision to retire from politics, I will not contest elections. My younger son Manmath Routray will contest from Jatni and elder son from Nimapara. I hope the people will support them the way they did to me,” the Congress leader said.
The Congress leader was elected to the Assembly six times from Jatni. In 1977, he won on a Janata Party ticket. Later, he represented the constituency in 1980, 1985, 1995, 2000, and 2019 as a Congress candidate.
