3-Day Special Session of Odisha Assembly to Begin on Tuesday; New MLAs to Take Oath

Bhubaneswar:  The Odisha Legislative Assembly has been put under a three-tier security system ahead of the three-day oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected MLAs scheduled to begin on Tuesday, June 18.

All the newly elected MLAs will take oath between June 18 and 19, 2014. Later, the election for the Speaker will be held on June 20.

In view of the special three-day session, the senior officials of Odisha police, including the Director General Police (DGP) Arun Sarangi, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Twin City Police Commissioner Sanjeeb Panda and others on Monday reviewed the security arrangements.

This will be the first session of the 17th Odisha Legislative Assembly after the formation of the new BJP government in the state. The BJP emerged as the single largest party in the recently held assembly elections in the state by winning 78 of the 147 seats.

Mohan Charan Majhi, a four-time tribal leader from Keonjhar, has been appointed as the chief minister of the state.

At least 75 senior police personnel and eight platoon forces have been deployed to prevent any untoward incident during the oath-taking ceremony.

Along with the police, anti-sabotage and anti-terrorist teams have also been deployed, reports said.

“As there is likely to be no rally, agitation or demonstration, we have only deployed a skeletal regiment for now. The security arrangement has been divided into three parts – inner cordon, outer cordon and isolation cordon. A special team has been given the security arrangements inside the Assembly,” informed DGP Sarangi.

“We have also deployed anti-terrorist and anti-sabotage teams. We have also opened a control room here. Those who have the pass will only be allowed inside the Vidhan Sabha due to security reasons,” he added.

“Since it is going to a short session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly, there will only be temporary traffic diversions,” said Twin City Police Commissioner Sanjeeb Panda.