Japanese Encephalitis deaths stall House on Day 1

Bhubaneswar: The Winter Session of the Odisha Assembly began on a stormy note on Thursday as Congress chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati along with Opposition legoslators rushed to the well of the House demanding suspension of the Question Hour to discuss the death of 119 children due to Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in Malkangiri district.

As soon as the session of the House began, Leader of the Opposition Narasingha Mishra drew Speaker Niranjan Pujari’s attention JE deaths and urged him to allow a special debate in the House on the disease by suspending the Question Hour business.

The Speaker, however, rejected the demand and decided to continue the Question Hour following which Congress chief whip Mr Bahinipati and Opposition members rushed to the well in the House shouting slogans. Unable to run the House, the Speaker Pujari adjourned the House till 3 pm.

Justifying the din created by the Opposition, the Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra said the Congress had had placed a motion for debate on a major issue like JE deaths but the government did not want to discuss the issue.

“When hundreds of children have died of the JE and an unknown disease in the last couple of months, the state government is in deep slumber. It is not taking any step to tackle the diseases. As the matter is of serious concern, I had requested the Speaker to cancel the Question Hour,” Mr Mishra said.