Bhubaneswar, Nov. 30: The issue of rising suicides by cotton farmers today rocked the Orissa Assembly with the Opposition forcing three adjournments and stalling business for more than three hours on the last day of the House.

Members of the Congress, Orissa Gana Parishad, JMM, CPI and CPM stormed the Well demanding constitution of a House committee to probe the suicides by farmers and suggest remedies.

There was total pandemonium as Opposition and ruling party members hurled volleys at each other. Tempers ran high when the Opposition members shouted slogans against chief minister Naveen Patnaik blaming the “anti-farmer policy” of his government for the increasing incidence of suicides by farmers.

The ruling party members retaliated by shouting slogans against former chief minister J.B. Patnaik for the present precarious economic condition of peasants.

Today being the last day of the winter session, the Opposition tried to seize the opportunity to corner the BJD-BJP government over the contentious issue.

Normality was restored later in the afternoon after Speaker Maheswar Mohanty announced that the matter would be inquired into by the standing committee on agriculture.

The issue cropped up for discussion during zero hour when deputy leader of the Congress, Narasingha Mishra, moved a privilege notice against agriculture minister Surendra Nath Naik. When farmers are committing suicide one after another, the government is taking it lightly, regretted Mishra.

A few days ago, a cotton farmer in Bolangir ended his life as he failed to repay the loan. Again, another farmer committed suicide in neighbouring Rayagada district two days ago for the same reason. An agricultural labourer killed himself in Bargarh yesterday, he said.

Mishra alleged that agriculture minister Naik has been trying to mislead the House and the public by citing some other vague reasons for the suicide of cotton farmers in Bolangir and Raygada.