Pandemonium prevailed in Puducherry Assembly on Tuesday following heated arguments between DMK and AIADMK members.

Troube erupted when A M H Nazeem (DMK) objected to Speaker V Sabapathy permitting AIADMK member Ohm Sakthi Segar in the opposition bloc to raise an issue relating to `delay' in disbursement of monthly assistance to aged persons without an invitation (from the speaker).

Segar contended that that the amount should have been available on September 7. He said more than two lakh beneficiaries were reeling under difficulty for want of the assistance.

Chief minister N.Rangasamy told the member that the amount was being distributed at the designated centres today.

After the chief minister`s reply Nazeem rose to ask whether it was a proper procedure to let a member air his complaint on his own without the formal invitation from the chair and before announcement of commencement of zero hour.

Nazeem said he too was of the view that the monthly assistance should be available on time to the aged and others. "I would only wish that the procedure to raise an issue should be according to prescribed conventions. How can a member suddenly raise the issue," he asked.

AIADMK legislators protested his intervention and heated arguments erupted.

At one stage opposition leader V Vaithilingam also objected to Segar raising the issue suddenly. AIADMK legislature party leader A Anbalagan wanted to know how Vaithilingam could register his protest once the chief minister had given reply to the question raised by Segar.

"We cannot rigidly adhere to procedural formalities and certain flexibility is inevitable," the speaker told the members, adding, Segar could have waited for a formal invitation from the chair.

Welfare minister P Rajavelu, however, defended Segar and said there was nothing wrong in a member raising an issue of public importance. Rajavelu said funds had already been handed to the centres concerned for disbursement to the beneficiaries.

This restored calm in the House.