The ninth day of the Chhattisgarh Assembly’s Budget Session witnessed heated exchanges and disruptions as legislators locked horns over several governance issues, including road safety concerns, delays in health department payments and the alleged shortage of cooking gas cylinders. The confrontation between the treasury benches and the Opposition intensified during the proceedings, eventually forcing a brief adjournment of the House amid rising commotion.
The session began with Question Hour, during which Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao, Health Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal, Forest Minister Kedar Kashyap, replying on behalf of Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, and Skill Development Minister Guru Khushwant Saheb responded to queries raised by members.
BJP MLA Kiran Singh Deo raised concerns over the execution of works under the Chief Minister Gram Sadak Yojana, alleging that certain projects had been undertaken without proper surveys or the due tendering process. Responding to the issue, Forest Minister Kedar Kashyap informed the House that in some sensitive areas, the works had been sanctioned through the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) fund, assuring members that the projects are expected to be completed within the next year.
Road safety in the Akaltara region was another issue raised during the proceedings. MLA Raghavendra Kumar Singh expressed concern over recurring road accidents and fatalities in the area, urging the government to intervene. Minister Kashyap assured the House that the issue would be closely monitored and appropriate measures taken to prevent further accidents.
The functioning of the health department also came under scrutiny when Kondagaon MLA Lata Usendi questioned delays in payments related to departmental programmes. She said that despite assurances of payment within a month, dues remained pending even after nine months. Senior Congress leader Kawasi Lakhma also voiced dissatisfaction over the matter. Health Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal replied that payments would be released only after proper verification following issuance of work orders and warned that officials providing incorrect information would face action.
Tensions escalated further when the Opposition moved an adjournment motion alleging disruption in cooking gas supply and a rise in cylinder prices. Leader of Opposition Charandas Mahant claimed that residents across the state were facing difficulties in obtaining LPG cylinders and described the situation as chaotic. The Chief Minister rejected the allegation and maintained that there was no crisis in gas supply.
Former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel joined the debate, alleging that black marketing of LPG cylinders had increased and that consumers in several districts were struggling to secure refills. The intense exchange led to sloganeering by Opposition members, prompting the presiding officer to adjourn the House briefly for five minutes.
Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee president Deepak Baij announced that the party would stage a large-scale protest and gherao of the Assembly on 17 March. Addressing a press conference, Baij said the agitation would focus on issues such as alleged illegal opium cultivation, rising LPG prices and the demand to ‘save’ the MGNREGA scheme.
Baij alleged that recent cases of opium cultivation had exposed the state government’s failure to curb narcotics activity. Referring to the Durg district case involving BJP leader Vinayak Tamrakar, he claimed attempts were being made to shield the accused by placing him third in the FIR while naming employees as primary accused. The Congress leader also criticised the recent increase of ₹60 in domestic LPG cylinder prices and ₹115 in commercial cylinder prices, saying the hike had also affected beneficiaries of the Ujjwala scheme.
He further alleged that rural labourers were struggling due to a lack of employment under the MGNREGA programme and warned that the Congress would intensify its agitation if the government failed to address the issues. Baij appealed to party workers across the state to participate in large numbers in the proposed Assembly gherao.
The sharp exchange of political accusations and counter-accusations underscored how the Budget Session has moved beyond routine legislative business to reflect a wider political confrontation in the state. With questions being raised over governance, public welfare programmes and allegations of illegal narcotics activity, the debates inside the Assembly are expected to resonate strongly in Chhattisgarh’s political discourse in the days ahead.