BJD ready to take on Opposition in House

BHUBANESWAR: Even after the reported demoralising defeat in the panchayat polls, the Opposition parties are readying to corner the Government in the Budget Session of the Assembly beginning February 21.  Buoyed by the huge success in the rural polls, according to unconfirmed sources, the BJD appears confident of taking on the Opposition head-on. The BJD will continue with its anti-Centre stance to neutralise the attack by main Opposition party the Congress. The issue of overriding powers of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) having ‘draconian’ overtones and infringing on federal rights, raised by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, will be taken up by the BJD. Naveen has made several chief ministers rally round him against the Centre on the issue.    The NCTC issue will be used by the BJD as the main ammunition to counter Opposition attacks. Several other issues, concerning State’s interest, will also be raised by the BJD in the House, said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Raghunath Mohanty. The Congress and the BJP are, however, planning to raise the issues of the liquor tragedy in Cuttack and Khurda districts which has claimed 36 lives and the alleged Pipili gangrape case to put the Government in dock. Both the incidents  claimed a minister each. AU Singhdeo had to resign as Excise minister in the wake of the liquor tragedy while the gangrape incident cost Pradeep Maharathy his Agriculture portfolio.  A senior Congress leader said what he claimed the rising crimes against women in the State will be raised. Besides the Pipili case, there are also several other similar cases which have come to the fore, he added.  The ‘deteriorating’ law and order situation in the State and the Naxalites spreading their tentacles to a majority of districts will also be raised by the Opposition. As it will be a long session, old issues of mining and other scams will also figure. The Parliamentary Affairs Minister, however, said the State Government is prepared to discuss any issue raised by the Opposition. Finance Minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadei will present the Budget on February 24.