Bhubaneswar: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday asserted that funds had been allocated for the Gangadhar Meher lift canal system project and asked the BJP "to stop shedding crocodile tears".

The BJP had said the Naveen government's announcement of the Rs 1,246-crore project to irrigate 32,000 hectares in Bargarh district was to woo electorates in the Bijepur bypoll's run-up.

Naveen had announced the project in October last, but the supplementary budget, presented in the Assembly last week, did not have any financial provision for it.

In the Assembly on Tuesday, Naveen taunted the BJP, saying: "Don't shed crocodile tears. Co-operate with us in running the House. Start construction of the second Brahmani bridge."

The delay in the construction of the second bridge has become a source of confrontation between the Centre and the state government.

The issue had led to frequent adjournments of House proceedings on Tuesday with the BJP describing Naveen's assertion as "another lie".

"Unlike others, we talk less, but our work speaks for itself. We are the only government to adopt manifesto and implement the same in letter and spirit," Naveen said in the Assembly after the BJP MLAs stalled the proceedings.

Naveen said: "An amount of Rs 1.5 crore has been allocated in the 2017-18 annual budget under pre-project activities of other pipeline projects, including the Bijepur lift irrigation project, one of the 58 projects. It has recently been renamed as Gangadhar Meher Lift Canal System and the same will be reflected accordingly in the outcome budget of water resources department."

Leader of the Opposition Narasingha Mishra said: "The BJD and the BJP are competing with each other in making false promises."

BJP leader K.V. Singh Deo told reporters that the delay in the execution of the bridge was due to the forest department's failure to give clearance to the project.