Ruckus In Odisha Assembly Over Disputed Kotia Border Issue, Fake Certificate Scam

The Odisha Assembly on Friday witnessed uproarious scenes as the opposition BJP and Congress faced off with the BJD members over the fake academic certificate racket and Kotia border dispute issues.

The issues were raised by Leader of the Opposition Jaynarayan Mishra of the BJP and Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra during the Zero Hour.

Jaynarayan Mishra attacked the state government over the Kotia issue and alleged that Odisha is sitting silently while the Andhra Pradesh administration has been luring the people of Kotia gram panchayat to their side.

The dispute over the ownership of 21 of the 28 villages under Kotia gram panchayat reached the Supreme Court in 1968. In 2006, the apex court held that inter-state boundaries did not fall within its jurisdiction and only the Parliament could resolve them, as it imposed a permanent injunction on the disputed area.

The senior BJP leader also slammed the BJD government over the fake certificate issue.

Fake academic certificates of various boards and universities in and outside the state were found recently when some government job aspirants submitted them to the authorities.

The members of both the opposition trooped into the well of the House and raised slogans against the state's BJD government and sought a ruling from the Chair.

As the Congress whip Taraprasad Bahinipati climbed the Speaker's podium after being pushed by other agitating opposition members, Speaker BK Arukha adjourned the proceedings till 4 pm. All his requests to agitating members to return to their seats did not pay any result.

Mishra claimed that the Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister and officials of Parvatipuram district are regularly visiting the 21 villages under Kotia Gram Panchayat and carrying out welfare activities to woo the local people.

"I want to know the fate of the special package announced by Odisha chief minister," the BJP leader said adding that Naveen Patnaik has not visited Kotia area but he roams around the world in name of seeking investment.

The BJP leader also claimed that not only Kotia in Koraput district, but other states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West Bengal also have their eyes on Odisha villages.

Mishra also slammed the state government over the fake certificate issue which has been reported from Bolangir, Kandhamal, Kendrapara and other districts.

Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra also supported the Leader of the Opposition and attacked the chief minister over the two issues.

The veteran Congress leader alleged that photos of a minister and a former minister along with the main accused in the face certificate racket have gone viral.

He wanted to know what steps the government is taking in this regard.

Countering the opposition attack, senior BJD leader Arun Sahoo accused the BJP and Congress of enacting drama over the Kotia issue.

He said there are three members from Odisha in the Union Cabinet and eight BJP MPs but "none of them has put any effort to resolve the dispute with Andhra Pradesh."

Sahoo also displayed a photograph of CLP leader Narasingha Mishra with the fake certificate racket kingpin in Bolangir.

The CLP leader then offered to become part of the investigation if he has any link with the prime accused. "Will the minister, an ex-minister and two former BJD MPs also be ready to be part of the investigation?" he asked.

Amid the din, Speaker allowed finance minister Niranjan Pujari and government chief whip Prasant Muduli to lay some reports.

This apart, the government also withdrew three Bills earlier introduced in the sessions.