The Orissa assembly today witnessed uproarious scenes in the wake of government filing a complaint that an 'important file relating to multi-crore mining scam' was missing from the secretariat as the opposition termed this move an attempt to deflect attention from the demand for chief minister's resignation.

Raising the issue, BJP legislature party leader K V Singhdeo said the state government was trying to divert attention from Vedanta and Posco issues by lodging a complaint with police claiming that the important file is missing from steel and mines department.

"If the government's intention is clear, it should give a statement under what circumstances the file went missing," he said terming the development "as a serious matter."

Congress member S S Saluja alleged that it was a case of "planned theft" of files on multi-crore mining scam.

While the matter was being debated during zero hour, Congress members raised anti-government slogans in the well and tried to climb the speaker's podium, forcing adjournment of house till 3 pm.

The opposition which had been demanding resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in wake of the high court judgement in the Vedanta University case, expressed surprise as to how the important file went missing from steel and mines when the matter was under investigation by vigilance wing.

This apart, the matter was sub-judice as a number of petitions seeking a CBI probe into the mining scam were pending in the Supreme Court, an opposition member said later.

Saluja also accused the state government of allowing the owner of a managanese mine undertake a foreign tour despite a vigilance case against him pending.

The steel and mines department had lodged a missing complaint at the Capital Police station yesterday stating that a file relating to lease of manganese mines to the company could not be found.

The state vigilance had chargesheeted the company accusing it of misappropriating Rs 54 crore by indulging in illegal mining activities in Keonjhar district.