Budget Session of Odisha Assembly Begins on Feb. 4, Likely to Be Stormy

 Bhubaneswar: The Budget session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly will begin on February 5 and continue till February 13. For smooth and peaceful conduct of the session, the state police has made elaborate security arrangements outside the Assembly and in the areas nearby in Bhubaneswar.

The Budget session is going to be the last sitting of the current 16th Assembly as the state will go to the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections later this year. The ruling Biju Janata Dal and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress will vie to utilise the session to connect with the voters by setting their own narratives.

As per reports, a three-tier security has been put in place around the Assembly. As many as 28 platoons of police force, SOG, striking force, bomb defusing squad, quick action teams, dog squads and fire service personnel will be deployed.

CCTVs have been installed around the Assembly, at Lower PMG, Rabindra Mandap and nearby areas to keep a sharp vigil on suspects and demonstrators during the Assembly session.

Besides, five makeshift police control rooms have been opened while eight DSPs, 16 ACPs and over 100 police personnel led by DCP Prateek Singh will be deployed.

Speaking to the media, DGP Arun Sarangi said, ”Like in previous years, we have made adequate security arrangements for the Assembly session. 20 platoons of police force have been deployed. Six ADCPs, 113 officers starting from the inspectors to the ASIs, 200 constables and havildars of different ranks will be deployed.”

On Saturday, the council of ministers had approved the vote-on-account to be placed in the Assembly by finance minister Bikram Keshari Arukha on February 8.

The council of ministers presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is reported to have approved the total budget of around Rs 2.7 lakh crore out of which the vote on account will be sought for 25 to 30 per cent of the funds. The budget proposals will be highest ever for Odisha taking into account the bouyancy in the state’s economy.

Official sources said as the state has reported the highest ever collection of GST in the past few months, the budget will reflect the same with more funds allocated for infrastructure, livelihood, irrigation and panchayati raj sectors. However, no bills will be brought by the government during the last session of the Assembly.

The appropriation bill for the vote on account will be placed by the government on February 9. Governor Raghubar Das will address the House on the opening day on February 5.