Odisha Assembly adjourned 5 times, MLA threatens suicide over govt decision to shut 14000 schools

Bhubaneshwar (Odisha) [India], November 22 : The Odisha Assembly was adjourned five times on Saturday following an uproar from Opposition MLAs over the state government's decision to shut around 14,000 schools in absence of an adequate number of students.
High drama unfolded in the Odisha Assembly when Congress legislator Tara Prasad Bahinipati threatened Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro with dying by suicide in protest against the closure of the schools.
"BJD government in Odisha is behaving like the erstwhile British government and suppressing education. The government has given directions to close 14,000 schools in the state. The students will be dropped out in absence of schools. In the house, I said that I will commit suicide if schools are not opened," Bahinipati told ANI.
BJP MLA Mukesh Mahaling said they are opposing the government order of closing schools having less than 20 enrollment of students. 'It is against the Right to Education. We want all schools to be opened and teachers should be appointed there."
Speaker Patro said that there will be a discussion regarding the closure of the schools on Sunday.
"No Business was taken on Saturday. There will be a discussion on the closure of the schools on Sunday. A motion has to be brought by the government. It will be discussed first and then a decision will be taken," he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash said that 14,000 such schools have been identified based on students' strength of below 20 across Odisha, with the exception of below 40 in coastal areas.