Bhubaneswar, July 24: After the Congress, today it was the BJP’s turn to raise the issue of more than one house or piece of land being allotted in favour of BJD leaders by violating norms forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House proceedings twice.

Yesterday, the Congress had raised the issue referring to The Telegraph report titled “Houses two many for comfort” published in the daily’s Wednesday edition. The report had carried the list of 29 persons and their spouses, who have been allotted more than one house or plot.

The names included BJD MLA Pranab Kumar Balabantaray, son of Rajya Sabha member Kalpataru Das, who has been allotted one house in his name and another in the name of Balabantaray Transport and Minerals Private Limited with him as the applicant.

Today, BJP legislature party leader Basanta Kumar Panda raised the issue in the Assembly. However, Speaker Niranjan Pujari did not allow Panda, saying that the matter was earlier raised in the House. “It can’t be discussed in the House for the second time,” he ruled.

Enraged, the BJP legislators, led by Panda, stormed the Well and tried to disrupt the proceedings forcing an adjournment for 10 minutes. When the House reassembled, unruly scenes continued and the Speaker had to adjourn the proceedings till the afternoon.

The BJP MLAs wanted a statement from chief minister Naveen Patnaik on the issue.

Later speaking to The Telegraph, Panda said the chief minister had dismissed a few ministers in the past after they had come under the “shadow of corruption”. Earlier, forest minister Bikram Keshari Arukh was forced to surrender one of the houses allotted to him, because there were two houses in his and his wife’s name.

“Now, food supplies and consumer welfare minister Sanjay Kumar Das Burma has been involved in unauthorised construction of an apartment,” said the BJP leader.

Das Burma has shot into a controversy after housing and urban development minister Puspendra Singh Deo gave a list of 423 builders in the city for violating norms. The minister’s name figured in the list as a director of a real estate company.

Das Burma, however, clarified in the Assembly that he had resigned from the post of director of Neelachal Builders in 2006 and it was erroneous on part of the authorities to have his name as a director of the company.

Panda told The Telegraph: “Now, there are allegations that another ruling party leader and former minister Kalpataru Das, who is close to the chief minister, has been allotted five houses or plots in the name of his son, his company, his wife and himself. If the chief minister does not take any action, we will raise the issue in the House again.”

Former panchayati raj minister and Rajya Sabha member Kalpataru Das, however, told The Telegraph that there had been no irregularities in the allotment of houses or plots in the name of his wife, son and himself. A residential plot was allotted to his wife in 2001 under the discretionary quota when the family had no homestead land within the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporations limits. In 1996-97, an industrial plot was allotted in the Mancheswar Industrial Estate in the city to Techmark Electronics and Electricals Private Limited, of which he was the managing director. Later, the plot was transferred to Gokarneswar Charitable Trust, which runs an educational institution.

On the allotment of houses to his son, the BJD leader said: “Technically, he is a separate family. One house was allotted in his favour in the discretionary quota. Another was allotted to Balabantaray Transport and Minerals Limited, of which he was one of the directors. This was allotted on the basis of lottery.”

In a related development, leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra moved a privilege notice against the government alleging violation of rules. Mishra said it was mandatory for the government to reply to a special mention within 48 hours.

“But replies to only 15 of 75 special mentions were given during the current session,” he said.

The Speaker said he would examine the matter.