Naveen Patnaik attends Odisha assembly session after two years

Senior Congress MLA Tara Bahinipati slammed Patnaik saying the CM could tour districts to launch the state-sponsored Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana smart health card, inaugurate a state-run restaurant in Bhubaneswar, but could not show up in the House.

Amid criticism by the opposition that he had not been attending assembly sessions ever since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in early 2020, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday attended the Budget Session of the state assembly for the first time in nearly two years.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik attended the assembly after two years on Friday. (HT PHOTO.)

Patnaik, who had been attending the House virtually for the last 2 years, went to the assembly and presided over a meeting of the BJD legislature party in the assembly premises and advised the treasury bench members on how to face the challenges thrown by the opposition parties.

Patnaik was present inside the assembly when Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal addressed the Budget Session lauding the state government’s steps in improving transportation and road connectivity in the state.

“I would like to reiterate in unequivocal terms that my government is firmly committed to developing all regions of the state and empowering all sections of the people and is all set to move into a transparent, technology-driven, transformed new Odisha,” Lal said.

The BJP and Congress have been quite critical of Patnaik giving the assembly a miss accusing him of being in deep slumber. In December last year, during the winter session of the assembly, deputy leader of the BJP legislature party Bishnu Charan Sethi said while Patnaik could go to Kalinga Stadium to attend hockey events it was inexplicable as to how he was giving the assembly a miss.

Senior Congress MLA Tara Bahinipati had also slammed Patnaik saying the CM could tour districts to launch the state-sponsored Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana smart health card, inaugurate a state-run restaurant in Bhubaneswar but could not show up in the House.

The current session will last for only 6 days during which a vote on account for the first 4 months of the 2022-23 financial year would be passed. The session will conclude on March 31. A full-fledged Budget is not being presented due to the imposition of the model code of conduct due to the ensuing civic body polls.

According to the schedule, the Budget for the year 2022-2023 will be presented by state finance minister Niranjan Pujari on March 30 and the Appropriation Bill will be tabled on March 31.