Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday slammed the main opposition Congress in the State Assembly for disrupting proceedings of the House time and again.
“I urge all the members to not play politics over peasants. There would be numerous occasions for allegations and counter allegations but let the House function so that agriculturists get relief,” said Chouhan while intervening Congress member Ramiwas Rawat, who wanted to know whether rules for minimum time period were followed for issuing the notice for Appropriation Bill.
The Opposition has developed a habit of creating ruckus over every issue. Its attitude is anti-farmer. I condemn this behavior of the Opposition, he said. Earlier, the House witnessed a ruckus-like situation over Rawats demand. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narottam Mishra said the special session has been convened by relaxing all rules to enable the passage of relief amount for drought-hit farmers.
Meanwhile, Congress member Sunderlal Tiwari raised a point of order that the agenda does not mention about discussion on the issue of drought. However, Mishra said drought is the problem but providing them relief by passing the Budget is the solution. He said that discussion on both the drought and the solution would take place simultaneously.
Speaker Sitasharan Sharma said Tiwar’s point of order could not be considered as it was based on assumptions. In the meantime, Finance Minister Jayant Malaiya tabled the Second Supplementary (Special) Budget of Rs 8,407.24 crore, which contains an allocation of Rs 3,328 cr for relief under drought. Initiating the debate, Congress member Mahendra Singh Kalukheda asserted that ryots have been driven to commit suicide not merely this season. In fact, peasants have been reported to commit suicides every year.
Besides, the number of agitations by farmers has also increased. He stressed on the need for developing ancillary occupations such as dairy development for agriculturists so that they could handle situations of crop failure due to drought and other reasons. Kalukheda alleged that regime convened brainstorming sessions such as Manthan but does not implement its recommendations.
likewise, it did not implement former President APJ Abdul Kalams vision for the heartland state. He said farmers would not have to face such grave crisis had these recommendations were followed. BJP member Archana Chitnis said farmers need to be encouraged to sow pulses and other crops that require less water.
Congress members Mukesh Nayak, Govind Singh, Bala Bachchan and Sunderlal Tiwari tried to put the regime in the dock for not being able to obtain financial assistance from the Centre though the BJP is in power. Rawat and Congress member Jitu Patwari also took part in the debate. BJP members Kedarnath Shukla, Yashpal Singh Sisodiya, Vishwas Sarang and Govind Singh Patel and Bahujan Samaj Party member Usha Choudhary also took part.