Bhubaneswar: The Day 2 of winter session of Odisha Legislative Assembly on Friday witnessed a noisy scene as the Opposition and Governing BJD members created a ruckus in the House over farmers issues leading to adjournment of the House without transacting any business till 4 PM.
Speaker BK Arukha first adjourned the proceedings till 11.30 AM and again at 4 PM as both the Opposition Congress and BJP members and BJD members shouted slogans inside the well of the House accusing each other of being responsible for the plights of the farmers in the State.
While the Opposition Congress and the BJP Members targeted the BJD Government over the input assistance, mandi issue and insurance under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana(PMFBY), the Treasury Bench Members criticized the Modi Government for not raising the Minimum support Price (MSP) for paddy as per the recommendation of the Swaminathan Committee.
As soon after the House adjourned at 10.30 AM, the Opposition members rushed to the Well of the House demanding disbarsement of input subsidy to the farmers and irregularities in paddy procurement. The BJD Members rushed to the well of the Assembly alleging Central Government’s negligence in implementation of MSP for Paddy as suggested by the House.
Later, the Treasury Bench members carrying banners on the rise of MSP for paddy sat on dharna near the Mahatma Gandhi statue inside the Assembly complex.
The Congress and the BJP members also resorted to dharna near the Gopabandhu statue in support of their demands.
The business of the Question Hour, the Zero Hour and the adjournment motion was washed out due to protest by both the opposition and treasury bench members.
The BJD Members were demanding the hike of MSP for paddy to Rs.2930 per quintal. Government Chief Whip Prashant Kumar Muduli said the Odisha Assembly in the past had passed a unanimous resolution to hike the MSP for paddy to Rs.2930 per quintal but the Modi government had not implemented it.
He alleged that due to the discrimination attitude of the Centre in supply of fertilizers to Odisha, the farmers in state are suffering a lot and are also deprived of insurance benefit under the PMFBY.
BJP Chief Whip Mohan Majhi accused the BJD Government of not declaring the districts of Western Odisha drought prone depriving the insurance benefit to the farmers under the PMFBY.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has declared the input subsidy of Rs.200 crore only recently keeping the Padampur Assembly bypoll in view which he said was nothing but a vote bank politics.
Mr.Majhi said the Opposition wanted a motion on farmers’ issue to be debated in the House but the Speaker did not accept the motion.
He alleged that there has been an unholy nexus between the millers and the officials involving corruption to the tune of Rs.3000 crore in the procurement of paddy every year forcing the distress sale of paddy by the farmers.
As per reports, there is a Rs 3,000 crore scam in procurement of paddy due to Katni Chatni, Mr.Majhi alleged.
On the other hand, the Congress members slammed both the State and the Centre for the plight of the farmers. They accused the state government of delaying input subsidy and hit out at the centre for the delay in the settlement of crop insurance claims.
Both the State and Centre are looting the farmers in the State. When the Congress raises the issue, both BJP and BJD have went to the well of the House. Both the parties are doing Drama, alleged Congress Lawmaker Taraprasad Bahinipati.