Bhubaneswar, (Reporters Pen): Sept 2: Chaos erupted in the Odisha Assembly on Monday as opposition BJD and Congress members protested over the ‘Subhadra Yojana,’ accusing the BJP government of failing to meet its promises regarding the scheme. The disruption led Speaker Susama Padhy to adjourn the House multiple times—first until 11:30 am, then 12:05 pm, and finally until 1:05 pm.
The session began with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi presenting a condolence motion for the late former Sambalpur MLA and senior Congress leader Ashwini Guru. However, as the question hour commenced, opposition members stormed the well of the House, chanting slogans and demanding that all women be included in the Subhadra Yojana.
Despite the Speaker’s appeals for order and the acceptance of an adjournment motion for a future discussion, the protests continued. BJD whip Pramila Mallick criticized the BJP government for allegedly breaking its promise to provide every woman with a cash voucher of Rs 50,000. She questioned the efficacy of the scheme, which currently offers Rs 5,000 in two instalments annually over five years.
Mallick also challenged the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that appear to exclude women from the scheme, accusing the government of making false promises to secure votes. She highlighted that the previous BJD government had offered interest-free loans and other financial support to women, which she claimed has now been withdrawn.
