Bhubaneswar, Feb 16 (IANS) The Congress party is all set to target the government by raising several key issues concerning various sections of society in the Odisha Assembly during the upcoming budget session, scheduled to start on February 17.​

Ahead of the session, a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party was held on the Assembly premises to discuss the party’s strategy for the crucial session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly.

The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president, Bhakta Charan Das, also attended the legislative party meeting.​

Speaking to media persons, Das underscored that, as a responsible opposition party, they are firmly committed to raising public issues in the Assembly and holding the state government accountable for its failures.​

He further stated that the Congress party plans to corner the government over several of its failures, including the alleged betrayal and exploitation of farmers, pollution and displacement caused by industrial units, the unresolved Mahanadi water dispute, provision of free electricity to farmers and tax relief for consumers, women’s safety, dignity, and justice, employment for youth, allocation of land pattas to Dalits and tribals, and job scams.​

Additionally, the OPCC president added that Congress MLAs will also raise the issue of the government’s failure to fulfil the promises it made to the common people before assuming power.

The meeting was also attended by Congress Legislature Party leader Rama Chandra Kadam, Odisha Congress co-incharge Jetti Kusum Kumar, along with all party MLAs.​

The budget session is poised for fireworks, as the opposition Biju Janata Dal and Congress plan to put the state government in a tight spot over different issues, especially the paddy procurement chaos.

The Leader of Opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik has also called upon the party’s MLAs to raise issues such as farmers’ woes and the collapsed law-and-order situation.

​Notably, an all-party meeting was held on Monday under the chairmanship of Odisha Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy to ensure the smooth conduct of the budget session. The session will begin with the Governor’s address, which will be followed by a two-day discussion. ​

The State Budget will be presented on February 20 by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who also holds the finance portfolio. According to official sources, the sixth session of the 17th Odisha Assembly is scheduled to conclude on April 8. The session will be held in two phases and will have 28 working days.

–IANS

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