Opposition Creates Ruckus in Assembly on First Day of Budget Session

Bhubaneswar, July 22 – The 17th Assembly session began today with a commotion as opposition members created a ruckus. The session started with Governor Raghubar Das's address, but opposition members from the BJD and Congress boycotted the speech and walked out of the chamber in protest. 

The opposition parties were upset over an incident during the Puri Rath Yatra where the Governor's son, Lalit Kumar, allegedly assaulted an ASO named Vaikuntha Pradhan. The opposition has been demanding strict action against Lalit Kumar and criticizing the government's silence on the matter. 

Congress legislator Tara Prasad Bahinipati said, "The BJP government talks about Odia identity, but the Governor's son assaulted an Odia officer. Why hasn't he been arrested? Until the Governor's son is arrested, our protest will continue."

#WATCH | #Odisha #assemblysession: Oppositions stage protest as Governor Raghubar Das begins his address.#Monsoonsession2024 pic.twitter.com/Ez4SCcLAMK

— Kalinga TV (@Kalingatv) July 22, 2024

During his address, Governor Raghubar Das outlined the government's goals and priorities. He emphasized the importance of working with neutrality and promised to focus on employment for the youth. He also mentioned that some promises have already been fulfilled since the formation of the government. 

The Governor highlighted several key goals for the state, including developing Odisha by 2036, providing accessible healthcare, and creating 25 lakh Lakhpati Didis by 2027. He also promised to give importance to farmers, laborers, youth, and tribal people.

Key Points from Governor Raghubar Das's Address
Our government will act fairly and impartially.
We are focused on creating job opportunities for young people.
We will keep the promises we have made.
Some of our promises have already been fulfilled since the government started.
Our main goal is to develop Odisha.
We aim to develop Odisha by 2036.
We will prioritize the needs of farmers, workers, young people, and tribal communities.
Providing easy access to healthcare for everyone is one of our goals.
We plan to create 25 lakh Lakhpati Didis by 2027.
We want to make Odisha a leading state in Eastern India.

Today's session marked the beginning of the budget session in the assembly, which is the first after the BJP came to power in the state. The full budget for the 2024-25 financial year will be presented by the Mohan government. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who is also the Finance Minister, will present the budget on July 25. 

As the assembly moves forward, all eyes will be on how the government addresses the concerns raised by the opposition and whether the promised actions and developments will be implemented effectively.