Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Assembly session was adjourned sine die at 12:42 AM on Tuesday, with Speaker Surama Padhi announcing the indefinite adjournment of the House, five working days ahead of schedule.
The Odisha government withdrew four amendment bills on Tuesday night that proposed a three-fold hike in salaries, allowances, and pensions for MLAs, ministers, and other constitutional functionaries, just before the Assembly’s budget session was adjourned sine die. The decision to withdraw the bills was made amid widespread public outrage, with all parties requesting the government to review the hike.
The Assembly session, which started on February 17, was initially set to conclude on April 8. However, Chief Whip Saroj Kumar Pradhan proposed an early adjournment due to a lack of legislative business, and the House approved it.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling introduced notices to withdraw four bills proposing revisions to salaries, allowances, and pensions for legislators, the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and ministers. The House consented to the withdrawal of these proposals.
Most importantly, the Odisha State Public Universities (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Bill, 2026, was passed by the Legislative Assembly after a lengthy late-night session. Despite strong opposition and calls to refer the bill to a select committee, Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj pushed for its immediate implementation, citing urgency. The bill was approved following a four-hour debate.
