Raise Women’s Reservation Bill Issue In Parliament, Naveen Tells BJD MPs

BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday asked party MPs to demand in the monsoon session of Parliament that the Women Reservation Bill be passed, besides raising the issue of granting special status to the state. The monsoon session of Parliament commences on July 20.

While presiding over the BJD’s parliamentary party meeting on virtual mode, Patnaik asked the party MPs of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha that they should try to raise the issue relating to the passage of the bill seeking 33 per cent reservation for women in Lok Sabha and assemblies.

The BJD president also told his party MPs that the Centre has not been paying heed to the demand that Odisha get a special focus status. The demand should be raised in both Houses of Parliament, said BJD leader in Lok Sabha Pinaki Mishra.

Mishra said Odisha is the lone state in the country which has been affected by natural calamities such as cyclones, floods and droughts, and therefore, it should be given the status of a special focus state. The MPs told the party chief as Parliament was not functioning properly due to various issues, they could not raise Odisha-related issues, Mishra said.

He claimed when BJD lawmakers tried to meet Union ministers outside Parliament to push certain projects, those were scuttled by BJP MPs. He cited instances of Puri and Bhubaneswar Heritage Projects, paddy procurement issue, lifting of parboiled rice from Odisha, opening of portal for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana houses and others.

“He (Patnaik) heard our difficulties and said it is a matter of concern that the MPs are unable to properly raise state issues in Parliament,” Mishra said. The BJD president also told the parliamentary party meeting that the state government has been doing everything to develop various sectors such as health, education and agriculture.