Bhubaneswar:
The Orissa Assembly was forced to suspend its session on Thursday till 4 p.m. after a snake was spotted inside the House.
The snake was spotted around 8 a.m. near Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik's table by the staff during a routine check. It then slithered away, and could not be found, officials said.
"The snake was seen near where the Chief Minister sits. We are taking the help of the forest department. We are also seeking the help of the snake helpline to trace out the snake," Parliamentary Affair Minister Raghunath Mohanty said.
Sniffer dogs have also been brought in to locate the snake. A member of local snake helpline and officials of wildlife department have been roped in to find the snake.
Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat was informed and adjourned the House.
Some members of the Opposition, however, alleged that it was a ploy to avoid debate in the assembly.
"There are some important issues in the assembly today (Thursday). But we are not sure whether there is a snake or it is a ploy by the government to avoid an important debate in the assembly," Congress legislator Santosh Singh Saluja said.