Bhubaneswar: An all-party meeting was held today, a day before the commencement of the Budget Session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly.
The meeting, chaired by Speaker Surama Padhy, aimed to ensure a smooth and coordinated session by facilitating dialogue among various political parties and addressing key legislative matters.
The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Opposition Leader Prasanna Acharya, Opposition Chief Whip Pramila Mallik, and Congress Legislature Party leader Rama Chandra Kadam.
The discussion focused on ensuring a peaceful and orderly conduct of the House, stated Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Mukesh Mahaling following the end of the meeting.
The Budget Session will officially begin tomorrow, February 17, with the Governor’s address. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who also serves as the Finance Minister, will present the State Budget for the fiscal year 2026-27 on February 20.
The opposition parties, BJD and Congress, are gearing up to grill the government on various issues, including the paddy procurement issue, Mahanadi water dispute, and pollution control measures. The ruling BJP is preparing its strategy to counter the opposition’s attacks.
Meanwhile, security has been tightened ahead of the Budget Session, with multi-layered arrangements in and around the Legislative Assembly. Dog squads, bomb squads, snake help-line, and fire services will be deployed.
Besides, twenty platoons of police force will be stationed around the Assembly, and the entire area will be under CCTV surveillance.
Five temporary police camps have been set up near the Assembly, and a temporary police control room has been established for the session.
