The Hindu : Other States / Orissa News : Stormy winter session likely

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Monday, Nov 19, 2007
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Stormy winter session likely

Special Correspondent

Opposition set to mount attack on a host of issues in House

Opposition to press for special discussion on the agitation by farmers, teachers
Adequate security arrangements being made to prevent untoward incidents

BHUBANESWAR: The Biju Janata Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party Government is likely face a mounted attack by opposition parties in the winter session of the State Assembly that is scheduled to start on Monday.

The 27-day session is likely to be stormy as the Opposition has decided to take up issues of the recent lathi-charge on farmers at Hirakud and Saturday’s police action against agitating high school teachers at several district headquarters towns in the State. While 30 farmers sustained injuries at Hirakud, more than 100 teachers were injured in the police action against them.

The farmers of at least eight districts of western Orissa have been agitating since long against the alliance government’s decision to allow various private companies to draw water from the Hirakud reservoir.

All the political parties, including the main opposition Congress, have openly extended their support to the farmers’ demands saying that no industry be given water until the government made adequate water available for agriculture purpose.

The opposition parties are also set to take up with full force the issue of teachers’ agitation as thousands of teachers belonging to different categories were agitating for fulfilment of their various demands. The Opposition has also decided to demand special discussions on both the issues as the agitations by farmers and teachers were gaining strength.

Other issues

The issues pertaining to the fake medicine racket, female foeticide, gang rape of a woman on the Konark-Puri Road, mark sheet scam and frequent bank dacoities were likely to be taken up by the Opposition to embarrass the government. The Congress has already released a charge-sheet listing the “failures and inefficiencies” of the Naveen Patnaik Government.

Meanwhile, adequate security arrangements were made in and outside the Assembly premises to prevent any untoward incident during the session.

The police were not taking any chances as a number of organisations and associations planned to hold rallies, demonstrations and dharna to highlight their grievances outside the Assembly on the Mahatma Gandhi Marg on different days.

State Director-General of Police Gopal Chandra Nanda visited the Assembly premises to oversee the arrangements on Sunday.

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