BHUBANESWAR: The Assembly on Friday witnessed noisy scenes with both Opposition and ruling alliance legislators rushing to the well questioning the alleged faulty procedure adopted for promotion of administrative officials belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Trouble began when ruling Biju Janata Dal legislator Ranendra Pratap Swain raised the issue during zero hour saying two Orissa Administrative Service officials belonging to general caste were given promotion on the very day when the Revenue Minister assured the Assembly that the guidelines set by the Supreme Court on the issue would be followed strictly.

Order challenged

Soon, members, cutting across party lines, rushed to the well challenging the order of the Departmental Promotion Committee that had cleared the promotion of the two general caste officials.

The angry legislators alleged that the two officials had been promoted although their names figured below the names of the officials belonging to the reserved categories in the gradation list.

The House had to be adjourned four times consecutively and no further business could be transacted as the stalemate continued till 1 p.m.

When Congress leader Jayadev Jena demanded that the promotion of the two officials be stayed till the issue was resolved, Speaker Maheswhar Mohanty said that he had discussed the issue with the Chief Minister and the Government would examine the issue.

The irate Opposition, however, kept raising slogans blaming the Government for "ignoring the interests of the officers who belonged to the reserved categories". The Government should not discriminate against any official by violating the norms of the Constitution and the Supreme Court order, they said.

They demanded that the Government deal with the issue with care and promote officials strictly adhering to the resolution that was prepared by the General Administration Department and the gradation list.

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