Janakpur, July 12 -- The Madhesh Provincial Assembly has failed to function for the sixth consecutive day as a dispute over the annual budget continues to paralyse proceedings.

The impasse has now led to the formation of a new 14-member task force under the leadership of Deputy Speaker Babita Raut Ishar, following the resignation of Speaker Ramchandra Mandal from the coordinator role.

Saturday's assembly meeting was disrupted shortly after it commenced, with opposition parties objecting to the government's failure to address alleged flaws in the proposed budget and criticising the earlier formation of a task force led by the Speaker that included Physical Infrastructure Minister Saroj Kumar Yadav.

The inclusion of Minister Yadav, a mem...