Madhya Pradesh assembly on Tuesday witnessed uproar over farm loan waiver issue and the BJP members staged a walkout as their demand for adjournment motion was not accepted by the Speaker.
Raising the issue, during Zero Hour, former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan claimed the Congress had promised to waive off Rs two lakh farm loans but after coming to power altered the announcement saying only short term loans would be written off.
He went on to claim that farm loan waiver required a budget of Rs 48,000 crore but the Congress government has only provisioned Rs 5,000 cr in the budget which was no way close to sufficient.
Loans were not waived off and now farmers are also not getting refinanced for seeds and fertilisers in busy sowing season, claimed Chouhan adding the farmers are forced to borrow money from money lenders. “The famers are being cheated on loan waiver,” alleged Chouahn. Claiming that farmers were in huge distress, Chouhan urged the speaker NP Prajapati to accept the adjourn motion to discuss this urgent issue.
The speaker however claimed that he has been apprised of the matter and he would ensure this comes to the House for discussion in any possible manner. However this did not satisfy the opposition.
Leader of Opposition Gopal Bharghav also joined in saying also intervened saying farmers have no money to buy seeds and fertilisers and as monsoon got delayed by 20 days, it was high time farmers’ plight was heard.
Close to 12 distressed farmers have committed suicide, claimed Bhargav. Saying that July 10 would be a day reserved for budget, Bhargav claimed from July 11, general discussion would continue on budget so speaker could allow them to move adjournment motion on July 11.
However, the speaker remained firm on what he said amid ruckus from BJP MLAs. Home minister Bala Bachchan also claimed in Congress government, farmers’ suicides have come down as earlier daily 4-6 farmers ended lives but in Congress’ 200 days, only 71 have committed suicide.
The BJP MLAs kept pressing for adjournment motion and the speaker reiterated that he has said what he had to in accordance with the tradition of the House and continued with the proceedings of the assembly.
On this, Congress MLAs led by Bhargav and Chouhan walked out raising slogans against state government.
Outside the House, Chouhan accused the Kamal Nath government of duping farmers on farm loan waiver saying no money reached farmers’ accounts and their loans also were not waived off so they are forced to return to clutches of money lenders to fulfill their requirements.