Bhubaneswar, Mar 23 (IANS): Pandemonium prevailed in the Odisha Assembly on Friday as members of the Congress and BJP created a ruckus over the distress sale of tomatoes in the state.

As soon as the House met, the opposition members went to the Speaker's podium shouting slogans against the government.

Unable to run the House, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings till 11.30 a.m. and then till 3 p.m. as the members again resorted to sloganeering when the Zero Hour began.

"Media reports have said that at some places, people were not ready to purchase tomatoes at Re 1 per kg. It shows that the government has failed to understand the problems of farmers. Therefore, we demand that the government should stop the distress sale and ensure the right prices for farmers," said Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra.

He also castigated the government for its lackadaiscal attitude towards the plight of farmers.

Opposition chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati demanded that the Speaker should call an all-party meeting over the issue.

Meanwhile, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) criticised the opposition for disrupting the House proceedings.

"Such move by the opposition members on a day when the Budget is scheduled to be tabled is not acceptable. The issue could have been raised by them during Zero Hour," BJD MLA Sanjay Das Burma said.