Patna, March 13: The Assembly today witnessed noisy scenes over the government's alleged failure in the implementation of the public distribution system, compelling Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary to adjourn the House twice.

The Opposition BJP kicked off its demonstration right from outside the Assembly. Before the lower House assembled, the BJP legislators staged a protest on the Assembly's portico with placards bearing messages of irregularities in the public distribution system (PDS). The MLAs shouted slogans against chief minister Nitish Kumar and demanded his resignation.

Blocking the entrance, the BJP legislators demonstrated for around 10 minutes outside the Assembly. The party's Paliganj MLA, Usha Vidyarthi, demonstrated with an empty kerosene container, while the slogan ' kha gaya ration, pi gaya tel (ate ration, gulped oil)' echoed on the Assembly premises.

The BJP legislators kept the heat on inside. As the Assembly sat for the day, they insisted that the adjournment notice given by two of its members be taken up first on the alleged irregularities in the implementation of the food law in Bihar since February last year. Binod Narayan Jha, who had given the adjournment notice with party MLA Sanjay Singh Tiger, alleged that more than 50 lakh beneficiaries had yet not received their ration cards.

When Speaker Chaudhary turned down the plea, the BJP legislators entered the well with placards and shouted slogans against the government. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Nand Kishore Yadav was not present in the House as he was unwell, but his party colleagues kept up the tempo of protest.

As the BJP legislators continued with their protest against the government, parliamentary affairs minister Shravan Kumar looked at the Speaker and said: 'I request them (the BJP legislators) to get back to their seat and put up the issue according to the rule. They should not enter the well. It seems they are not bothered about the people's problems.'

When the BJP legislators did not relent, Speaker Chaudhary asked them to bring the issue to the House in a democratic way. 'This is not the way to strengthen the parliamentary set-up, lakhs of rupees are spent on every minute of the proceedings and you must understand that entering the well will not solve the issue. Question hour session should not be affected as it deals with issues related to people,' said Chaudhary.

Shravan stood up soon after and said: 'The BJP legislators just want to divert the issue. They are not interested in resolving it.' The Speaker's request and the minister Shravan's censure had little impact on the BJP MLAs. Amid the din, the House was adjourned around 11.20pm for 40 minutes.

When the proceedings resumed at 12noon, the House could take up three questions during the zero hour because the BJP legislators once more entered the well on the PDS issue. The Speaker again adjourned the House till 2pm. Coming out of the Assembly, BJP MLA Jha said: 'Fifty lakh people have not yet got their due in PDS under the Food Security Act, which was implemented by the state government in a hurry last year.

Food and consumer protection minister Shyam Rajak, whose department deals with PDS, claimed that the Centre had not allocated adequate food grains for PDS. He told The Telegraph: 'We are not running away from any debate. But the fact is something else. We were the first to make the list of all the beneficiaries and sent it to the Centre three months ago. The problem is not from our side, the Centre is responsible for this situation.'

On the current status of PDS in Bihar, Rajak said: 'The total number of beneficiaries are 8.71 crore. Till now, as many as 7.6 crore people have got the benefits. The list of 47 lakh more beneficiaries was sent to the Centre three months ago and they are the ones who have not been given the food grain.'

On Union food minister Ramvilas Paswan's threat to stop the food grain allotment to the state under the Food Act from March 31, 2015 for not providing ration cards to a large number of beneficiaries and alleged irregularities among those getting it, Rajak said the state was not at fault and dared the Centre to do so.