The opposition Congress and BJP on Monday nailed the BJD government for not appointing a Lokayut in the state for over four years while making tall claims of probity and transparency.

On Monday, in the Odisha Assembly, both the Congress and BJP disrupted proceedings since morning demanding a statement from the Chief Miniter Naveen Patnaik on appointment of Lokayut.

Speaker Pradip Amat adjourned the house in the pre-lunch session as the Opposition stuck to its guns saying the Speaker should direct the CM to make a statement in the House.

In the post lunch session, the Opposition continued to raise the issue before finally staging a walkout. Earlier in the day, the Congress members took up the Lokayut issue and trooped in to the well of the house raising slogans against the government.

Former law minister Mr Narashingh Mishra wanted the Speaker to direct the CM to apprise the House as to when the notification for implementation of the Odisha Lokayut Act would be issued and when the Lokayut would be appointed.

As Speaker P K Amat did not respond. Mr Mishra said the Lokpal and Lokayut Act in the state were enacted in 1971. It was repealed during the tenure of Biju Patnaik government and re-enacted by former CM J B Patnaik. After the death of Justice (Retd) P K Patra, the last Lokpal of Odisha in 2014, no Lokpal has been appointed so far.

In 2014 the BJD government passed the Odisha Lokayut Act and the CM boasted Odisha is the first state in the country to pass the Act and announced that Lokayut would be appointed within six months.

He said the Odisha state Act has two provisions— that the government would issue notification for the Act after it got the ascent of the President and the old Act would be in force till the new Act was implemented.

Mr Mishra said the new Act got the ascent of the President in February 2015. Though three years have passed the state government neither appointed the Lokayut as per the old Act nor issued notification for the implementation of the new Act.

He alleged that the CM was deliberately promoting corruption and not acting on its commitment and said recently the Supreme Court has written a letter to the state Chief Secretary to clarify the position on the issue.

BJP legislature Party Leader K V Singh Deo supported Mr Mishra and said the matter should be taken seriously.

He requested the Speaker to give a ruling on the demand of the Opposition. Speaker requested the members to take their seats and participate in the proceedings of the house.