Raipur: The Monsoon Session of the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly began on Monday with the government setting the stage to introduce eight bills over the five-day session, while the opposition Congress sought to corner the ruling BJP on the alleged theft of offerings at a Ram Temple.

The session, which will continue until July 17 with five sittings, opened with members paying tributes to Padma Vibhushan awardee and celebrated Pandavani exponent Teejan Bai in recognition of her contribution to India's folk art and cultural heritage.

Soon after the proceedings began, the Congress raised the issue of the alleged theft of offerings at the Ram Temple and demanded a discussion in the House. The opposition moved an adjournment motion, triggering a heated exchange between treasury and opposition benches. However, Assembly Speaker Dr. Raman Singh rejected the motion, allowing the House to continue with the scheduled business.

During Question Hour, BJP MLA Lata Usendi sought explanations from the government regarding the absence of B.Ed. and D.Ed. courses at Shaheed Mahendra Karma University in Kondagaon, the large number of vacant posts in the institution, and the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Usendi pointed out that despite the university having 265 sanctioned posts, only a limited number of appointments had been made. She also sought details about the ongoing recruitment process and asked which agency had investigated complaints related to appointments at the university.

Replying on behalf of the government, the minister informed the House that five of the university's 31 departments are yet to become operational. Recruitment is currently in progress for 113 posts out of 146 sanctioned vacancies. The minister clarified that the complaints pertained to an earlier recruitment exercise and not the current process. He added that the inquiry report had been submitted to the Governor and that the allegations were found to be baseless, following which the complaints were disposed of.

The session is expected to witness discussions on key legislative and governance issues as the government prepares to table eight bills before the Assembly concludes on July 17.