Bhubaneswar, March 15: The Opposition today stalled the proceedings of the state Assembly for the third day in a row protesting the speaker’s ruling in the dal scam delivered by him yesterday.

Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat had directed the state government to place an action taken report on the dal scam within 48 hours. However, he had excluded the facts placed before the high court, since matter was “sub-judice”.

While delivering his ruling, Amat had relied on the procedure followed in Rajya Sabha.

Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh said there was no need to follow the practices of Rajya Sabha when there was an explicit provision in the Rules of Procedures and Conduct of Business in the Orissa Assembly governing the special mentions.

Singh said the Opposition Congress members had raised certain points through special mentions under Rule 116-D of the Rules of Procedures and Conduct of Business in the Orissa Assembly on March 11 and sought the placing of an action taken report on the dal scam.

According to this rule, the concerned department has to report to the House the actions on the matter raised within 48 hours, he said.

Opposition chief whip Prasad Harichandan said that generally, discussion on matters pending in court is avoided because it may influence the adjudication. But placing of a written action taken report on dal scam would not prejudice the adjudication, he argued.

Singh said he wanted to raise these points on the floor of the Assembly this morning. But he was not allowed to do so.

As the speaker did not allow the leader of Opposition to speak, peeved Congress members trooped into the well shouting slogans. The House witnessed uproarious scenes throughout the day with the Congress members occupying the well and BJP members standing on their seats. The speaker was forced to adjourn the proceedings twice.

The Opposition members also boycotted the discussion on the budget of works and energy departments in protest. The budgets of the two departments were passed amidst the Opposition boycott.

During the zero hour, ruling BJD members decried the Opposition for stalling the proceedings for days together and wasting the precious time of the House over a “non-issue”.

Senior BJD legislator Kalpataru Das said the speaker had asked the government to place the action taken report within 48 hours. “The Opposition members should wait till then and should not stall the proceedings,” he said.

He was supported by his party colleagues Ananta Das, Niranjan Pujari and Nrusingha Charan Sahu, while independent member Pratap Sarangi said the Opposition members should participate in the discussion instead of stalling the proceedings.

NCP legislature party leader Amar Satpathy requested the speaker to call the leaders of all parties to his chamber to resolve the deadlock.

Senior BJP legislator Jaynarayan Mishra said it was the government’s responsibility to run the House and it had failed on this count.