The Odisha Assembly on Friday witnessed a pandemonium over the alleged malpractice in paddy procurement and deteriorting law and order situation in the state and, prompting the Speaker to adjourn the House several times.

The House was first adjourned on Friday morning and later the adjournment was extended as the Opposition parties — the Congress and the BJD — raised the issue again.

As soon as the House commenced for the day, the Opposition members trooped into the well raising slogans against the Majhi-led BJP government.

BJD MLA Goutam Budha Das said: “The farmers are being exploited. They are not getting their due price. There is katni-chhatni (undue price deductions) during rice procurement.”

The MLAs also questioned the closure of the mandis (markets).

“On Thursday, we urged the Speaker to take up discussions on the death of 14 farmers due to the loss of crops during the unseasonal rainfall in the state and the farmer’s protest over katni-chhatni. However, the Speaker did not allow it for discussion. The government has failed to fulfil the promises made to farmers who are in distress,” BJD chief whip Pramila Mallick said.

Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati said: “The law and order has collapsed in the state. The day Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in the city (arrived to attend the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on January 8), a youth was murdered (in Bhubaneswar). The cases of robbery have also increased. The law and order has completely collapsed.”

However, BJP MLAs said the Opposition should not kill the time of the August House and rather provide constructive support to take up various issues. “The BJD and the Congress do not have any agenda. They just want to mislead people creating a false narrative,” said BJP MLA Irasis Acharya.

Kuna Nayak, 52, a farmer from the Govindpur area of Cuttack, said: “I sold 19 quintals of rice. For every quintal we sell, we get the payment for 95 kilograms of rice. There is no point in protesting against the issue. If one protests, the mandis will only delay the buying of rice from the framer, causing a lot of stress. So, it is better to sell the rice adhering to the rules of katni-chhatni.”

During his election campaign in Odisha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had declared that his government, if voted to power, would stop the ill-practice of katni-chhatni.

Earlier this month, Bhadrak collector Dilip Routrai had visited the mandi incognito to find out about farmers’ allegations related to katni-chhatni. The collector had also admitted that he had found the allegations to be true.