Opposition BJP, which had acquired the negative tag of being disruptionist, has this time decided to turn the table on the treasury bench by proving extra-serious and hyper-active.
On Friday, the third day of the ongoing Budget session, they gave several notices during Zero Hour. They demanded debate on the matter of the State Government having failed to disburse the arrears of the sugarcane farmers.
A BJP MlA alleged that the Chief Minister kept saying that they had released the fund to clear the dues of sugarcane farmers. But in reality they had not released the money at all, he alleged.
Sugarcane Minister Surendra Singh Negi, who was supposed to answer the query, started eulogising Harish Rawat while defending the State Government on the issue.
When Harish Rawat was a Union Cabinet Minister he as the Sugarcane Minister of the State had gone to him. He then took him to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the PM on his part directed him to meet Agriculture Minister Sharad Panwar. later, he released Rs 6000 crore as bail-out package meant for sugar industry.
“Now, you should along with your MPs go to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek a similar bail-out package,” he said.
The Opposition said the Minister was indulging in dilatory tactics to play down the real issue confronting the sugarcane farmers.
Negi further said around Rs 364 crore arrears, including Rs 21.14 crore of Doiwala sugar mill, Rs 74 crore of libberhedi and Rs 66 crore of Iqbalpur, have been pending before the sugar mills. The government is trying to change quality of seeds and technique as well. This year, sugar recovery ratio has increased by 0.1 to 0.45 percent. Despite all this, our recovery remains stuck at mere nine percent. We are now trying to take the recovery level to Maharashtra’s around 12 percent. With this, the Speaker expunged the notice and asked for another one.
Despite this, MlA Madan Kaushik refused to stop, making the Speaker to say that his statement would not be recorded. An agitated Kaushik vented anger over his statement being not recorded.
He then said, in a mocking tone, that if the Congress MlA Furkan Ahmed and BSP MlA Haridass accept that the issue he had raised was a non-issue he would withdraw his notice. The MlAs he referred to were found laughing in their sleeves.