Ready to explain? Naveen Patnaik

Bhubaneswar, May 31: Opposition Congress plans to haul up the Naveen Patnaik government for its strident anti-Centre attitude during the Budget session of the Orissa Assembly.

The Assembly sessions start from tomorrow.

On the other hand the BJD-BJP legislature party made it clear that they would continue to deplore the “step-motherly” attitude of the Centre towards Orissa.

Legislators of the ruling BJD-BJP and Opposition Congress today met separately at the Assembly to chalk out strategies a day before the commencement of the state Assembly Budget session.

Parliamentary affairs minister Raghunath Mohanty said the BJD-BJP alliance would bring two motions to be discussed in the second-half of the session.

“We will raise the issue of a special package for Orissa in view of the ill treatment and step-motherly attitude to Orissa in all matters. Take a look at the issue of setting up an IIT in Orissa or meagre Central funds for rural electrification,” he said.

“The second issue would be the price hike during the UPA rule,” he stressed at the end of the joint legislature party meeting of Biju Janata Dal and Bharatiya Janata Party.

The joint-legislature party meeting was held at room no 54 of the state Assembly.

Chief whip of the Opposition Congress Satya Bhushan Sahu said his party will demand a discussion on the “emotive issue” of BJD-BJP’s consistent anti-Centre and anti-Congress attitude.

“We are taking it very seriously. After all, it was the Congress party, which was instrumental in making India independent. Naveen Patnaik’s recent statements criticising the Congress only smacks of immaturity. Has he forgotten that his father Biju Patnaik was a member of Congress several years ago?” Sahu asked.

He further added that the Congress would demand a white paper from the chief minister on the amount of Central grant given to Orissa during the NDA rule and in the past three years of UPA rule.

The Congress legislature party meeting also decided to raise the issue of deteriorating law and order situation in the state.

A spate of bank robberies and a recent abduction of a Keonjhar businessman is likely to feature in the discussion.

Besides, the rising ultra activities will also hold centrestage during the Budget session, Congress sources said.

The Congress legislators will also haul up the ruling alliance for not taking the Opposition into confidence while raising important issues.

On their part the parliamentary affairs minister said the government was prepared to discuss any issues that the opposition might raise during the long session scheduled to end on July 13.

Finance minister Prafulla Ghadei will lay the 2007-08 annual state Budget on June 1, following which the Assembly will discuss it till June 8. Between June 9 and 24, the respective standing committees of the Assembly will discuss the Budgets for the individual departments. The discussion on the Demand Budget would start from June 26. The Appropriation Bill will be taken up for discussion on July 12.

The minister added that several Bills are expected to be taken up during the session.