Expressing concern over the plight of farmers, the members of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha on Friday urged the Government to speedily implement various schemes to help overcome the ongoing agrarian crisis. They also suggested immediate measures like hiking the minimum support price for foodgrains, reduce interest on loans to farmers and open exclusive banks for them. A demand for a joint session of Parliament to discuss rural distress was also made.
These views were aired during the ongoing debate, initiated on Thursday, regarding the “agrarian crisis and suicide by farmers in various parts of country after leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad raised it. Resuming the discussion, RS members wanted adequate social security for farmers. The Elders also drew the attention of the government towards the latest crisis faced by farmers after their standing crops were damaged in various parts of the country.
While Bhupender Yadav (BJP) said the NDA Government had taken several steps to improve the lot of farmers like introducing Atal pension scheme and cover more land through better irrigation, some Opposition members including Naresh Agrawal (Samajwadi Party) and KC Tyagi (JDU) claimed that no concrete steps were taken on the ground.
Demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should give reply after the debate, Agrawal said it will give a message that Parliament and the government cares for the distressed farmers. The SP leader said farmers’ plight was discussed in the Rajya Sabha many times in recent months but no solution was in sight.
Terming the suicide by Gajendra Singh in New Delhi three days back as “shameful for a developing country like India,” the Samajwadi Party leader said the government should take immediate measures like waiving off loans, reduce interest rates and subsidise water and electricity for the agriculture sector.
Agrawal also charged that the FCI was turning away 70 per cent of the farmers on pretext of quality of wheat even after Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan announced that all food grain brought to procurement centres will be bought. He also sought immediate steps to deal with the scarcity of godowns.
JD (U)’s KC Tyagi went to the extent of describing Gajendra’s death as “martyrdom and sacrifice for the cause of farmers”. Tyagi held various ministries responsible for the present state of affairs in the agriculture sector and urged the BJP and Congress to join hands to implement the recommendations of the MS Swaminathan Committee to provide much-needed succour to farmers, if they can do so on allowing FDI in insurance and corporate globalisation. The Swaminathan Committee had recommended substantial hike in minimum support price to the farmers.
Tyagi said while the salaries of Government employees and teachers have risen manifold in the last four decades, the return for farmers has not.
Tyagi held the Agriculture Ministry as being primarily responsible for the death of the farmer at the AAP rally, but said other Ministries like Finance, Fertilizers and Chemicals, Food and Civil Supplies, Home, Commerce and Tribal Affairs also could not escape responsibility.
Ananth Kumar withdraws remarks against Tyagi after Opp protests
The Opposition on Friday took a strong exception to the remarks made by Chemical and Fertilisers Minister Ananth Kumar in the Rajya Sabha against JD(U) member KC Tyagi and forced Kumar to take back his words.
The entire Opposition stood up when Kumar made the remark, which was immediately expunged from records by Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien as it was unparliamentary, and several elders, including CP(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, said it was not only offensive but also denigrated Parliament.
The brief uproar took place when Kumar rebutted Tyagi when he was speaking during the debate on farmers’ plight and made the remarks saying everyone in the House was concerned over farmers and Tyagi should not consider himself as if he was their only custodian. While participating in the discussion, Tyagi made some remarks against the ruling party and also named the BJP chief, to which the Minister objected.
However, after protest from the Oppostition, Kumar said, “When KC Tyagi talked with such tone and tenor, I said he should not consider him as the sole representative of farmers. Tyagi and all have equal concern for farmers. If members have objection to that word, I will take it back and I take back,” Kumar said amid the din.
Sukhendu Sekhar Roy (TMC), Satish Chandra Misra (BSP) and Sharad Yadav (JDU) besides Congress members also backed Yechury’s demand and said Kumar’s observations were right and he must take it back.