Bhubaneswar, Sept 19: The Odisha Assembly on Thursday witnessed repeated uproars over the ongoing fertiliser crisis in the state, with the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) intensifying its protest against the ruling BJP government. The ruckus forced Speaker Surama Padhy to adjourn the House twice, and finally till 10 AM tomorrow.

As soon as the House reconvened at 4 PM, BJD legislators stormed into the well, shouting slogans and demanding a special discussion on the acute shortage of fertilisers during the kharif season. The Speaker’s repeated appeals for order went unheard, compelling her to adjourn the session once again.

Earlier in the day, during the Question Hour, a similar scene had unfolded. The BJD members entered the well with placards, accusing the government of being “anti-farmer.” The House could function for barely four minutes before being adjourned till 4 PM.

The protests inside the Assembly came a day after Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra admitted to black marketing of fertilisers across Odisha. Outside the House, Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallik alleged that the government had “failed to address farmers’ distress,” forcing the BJD to escalate its agitation.

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