Odisha Assembly adjourned multiple times amid pandemonium by

The Odisha Assembly was adjourned multiple times on Monday, as the opposition BJP and

the Congress created a ruckus in the House over alleged delay in procurement of paddy by various government-run 'mandi'

(markets) in the state. As soon as the House assembled for the Question Hour,

the BJP members rushed to the well of the House, seeking to know why Speaker S N Patro rejected their adjournment notice

for discussion on "irregularities" in paddy procurement. Shortly after, the saffron party legislators were

joined by the Congress members in their agitation. Despite requests when the opposition members refused

to return to their seats, Patro adjourned the proceedings multiple times, first during the pre-lunch session, and

finally from 3 pm to 5 pm, post lunch. As the protesting MLAs refused to budge, the speaker

then convened an all-party meeting to break the stalemate. "The farmers are unable to sell paddy due to the wrong

token policy of the BJD government. We had given an adjournment notice to the speaker for a discussion over this

matter. But he summarily rejected our demand," BJP Chief Whip Mohan Majhi told reporters outside the House.

Congress member Taraprasad Bahinipati said "thousands of quintals of paddy are lying in mandis" and farmers are

waiting to sell their produce. "Although district collectors have ordered officials

concerned to register farmers for procurement of paddy, no step has been taken in this direction," Bahinipati claimed.

He also said that famers were "distressed", but nothing was being done to address their woes.

"The food supplies and consumer welfare minister has made a statement in the Assembly on the issue, but officials

at the ground level have not taken any measure to resolve the grievances of farmers," the Congress leader added.

Countering the allegations, senior BJD member Amar Satpathy said the state government was aware about the matter

and was doing its best to help the farmers.