All party meeting: Smooth conduct of Assembly from tomorrow

Bhubaneswar, Mar 18: At the all party meeting called by Speaker Dr Surjya Narayan Patro all the members agreed to cooperate for smooth functioning of the House from tomorrow as the Food and Supplies Minister assured to clear the government's stand over paddy procurement at 11.30 am. The all party meeting also decided that the ruling party members will further not raise the issue of apology of BJP MLA Subash Chandra Panigrahi over his suicide attempt as the issue will be addressed by the Privilege Committee. The all party meeting was held following a high political drama in front of Naveen Nivas, the residence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs sat on dharna this afternoon. The Chief Minister came out from Naveen Nivas and invited the protesting BJP MLAs for a discussion on how to end the stalemate in the Assembly, which has been witnessing pandemonium over alleged irregularities in paddy procurement and other issues for the last six days. After the House was adjourned following ruckus by the opposition and treasury bench, the BJP legislators marched towards Naveen Nivas in search of Naveen Patnaik. This was in protest against the Chief Minister’s absence in the Assembly. They sat on dharna in front of the Chief Minister’s residence. They refused to budge even after persuasion from the ruling party MLAs and Ministers. However, they ended their dharna and agreed for a discussion over the paddy procurement issue after the Chief Minister came out of his residence to meet agitating BJP MLAs.