The Chhattisgarh legislative Assembly was adjourned for the day immediately after the Question Hour following protest by the Opposition Congress over paddy bonus payment issue in the House during the ongoing Budget Session on Monday. The Opposition demanded an adjournment motion for discussion over bonus to farmers on paddy purchase but Speaker Gaurishankar Agrawal did not find the issue admissible.
The Congress members faced suspension for entering the Well of the House during their protest. Immediately after the question hour, Congress member Bhupesh Baghel raised the demand for discussion over adjournment motion for bonus for paddy purchase and refusal by procurement centers to purchase paddy from all the farmers. He alleged that the paddy was not purchased from the farmers at various procurement centers despite token being issued to them before the last date on January 31, 2015.
Speaker Gaurshanker Agrawal said that the issue was related to administrative fault in paddy procurement process and is not admissible for adjournment motion. leader of Opposition TS Singhdeo and member Satyanarayan Sharma too supported the demand. Baghel accused the State Government of cheating the farmers by denying bonus on paddy procurement which was earlier announced at the rate of Rs300 per quintal.
He said that the issue is related to 80 per cent farmers and hence should be admitted for adjournment motion. The Speaker however maintained his stand and rejected the issue for discussion in the House. Congress members later shouted slogans against the Government and demanded bonus for the farmers. They entered the Well of the House in the process and were suspended.
The Speaker asked them to leave the House but they sat on the floor shouting slogans. The House proceeded with the business and BJP member Santosh Bafna raised issue of compensation for land acquisition by NMDC through Call Attention motion amidst chaos.
The Speaker intermittently asked the Congress members to follow the conduct of the House but they continued with their slogans. The House was eventually adjourned for the day at 12.30 pm. The Congress members then reached the statue of Mahatma Gandhi and staged dharna in support of their demands.