Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Assembly witnessed another day of disruption on Tuesday, the fifth consecutive day of the monsoon session, as uproar continued over the alleged move by the state government to curtail the powers of elected representatives in the three-tier Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).

As soon as the the proceedings began, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) legislators trooped into the well, raising slogans against the government and staging a noisy demonstration in front of the Speaker’s podium.

Congress MLAs standing on their respective seats staged a protest inside the House, holding placards calling the opposition BJD and ruling BJP as brothers, who don’t let the House function.

Despite the din, Speaker Surama Padhy attempted to proceed with the Question Hour. Panchayati Raj Minister Rabi Narayan Naik and Forest, Environment & Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia responded to questions from some members, but the chaos inside the House persisted.

Appealing for order, the Speaker urged legislators to maintain discipline and cooperate for smooth proceedings. However, the protests continued, forcing the House to be adjourned after about 20 minutes of Question Hour.

Meanwhile, the BJD leaders attempted to gherao the Assembly on Tuesday, accusing the BJP-led state government of conspiring to weaken grassroots democracy by granting more financial powers to Block Development Officers (BDOs) while reducing the authority of elected PRI representatives.