Bhubaneswar: Normalcy returned in Orissa
assembly on Wednesday as Congress members participated in the
proceedings after stalling the House from the beginning of
winter session on November 23, demanding resignation of the
chief minister and action against those involved in illegal
land acquisition for Vedanta University.
Resuming their function, Congress legislators inquired
about the state government's next move on the Orissa High
Court's November-16 order cancelling the land acquisition for
the proposed varsity. The court held the acquisition as
"illegal".
Leader of the opposition, Bhupinder Singh said it was
a breach of privilege by Revenue Minister, S N Patro who told
media that the state government had decided to move to the
Supreme Court challenging the HC judgement when the House was
in session.
The minister, he said, should have informed the House
first on government's move instead of going to media.
Singh was supported by many other members including
NCP legislature party leader Amar Satpathy.
Patro had yesterday told reporters that the state
government would soon move the apex court challenging the
Orissa HC judgement on Vedanta university.
Seeking a ruling from the Speaker to the Revenue
Minister, Congress chief whip Prasad Harichandan said the
state government had every right to move the apex court "but,
we do not understand why it is so protective to Vedanta."
Singh said, "The Mughal, Maratha and even British
rulers had not touched Lord Jagannath's land as a mark of
respect to the sentiments of the people, but the state
government had handed over 600 acres of Lord's land to the
Anil Agarwal Foundation, the developer of Vedanta university."
Later, when a number of opposition members sought a
ruling from the Chair on the revenue minister's statement
to the media, Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat said "I'll examine
the matter."
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, December 15, 2010, 19:18