Members of the main opposition party Congress on Monday created pandemonium in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly (CLA) protesting against the alleged shortage of seeds and fertilizers in the state.
Following uproar in the House, 39 opposition members were suspended from day’s proceedings. The 12-day monsoon session of the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly started on Monday. In all, the House will have seven sittings during the session.
Soon after the question hour, Leader of Opposition Ravindra Choubey raised the issue and charged that there was serious shortage of seeds and fertilizers in the state. He alleged that seeds and fertilizers were being sold in black at much higher price.
Choubey said the farmers were forced to pay two-three times more than the minimum price for the seeds and fertilizers. How can the farmers go to the fields when they are running from pillar to post to get seeds and fertilizers? Choubey asked.
Senior Congress member Nandkumar Patel said because of serious negligence on the part of state’s marketing federation, about 1 million tonne fertilizers had reached to the traders instead of government-run societies. The Congress members said the state government had failed to check the black marketing of fertilizers.
The opposition members demanded discussion on the issue through an adjournment motion. Speaker Dharamlal Kaushik did not admit the motion stating that it would be taken up in other business of the House.
The members created uproar in the House raising slogans against the state government. As state’s cooperative minister Nankiram Kanwar started reading the statement, opposition members trooped into the well of the House in protest. They were later suspended for the day.
Under section I of the rules of procedure and conduct of business in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly, no member shall leave his seat to enter the well of the house. The membership of such member who enters in the well of the house will be deemed sumoto suspended for such period as speaker decides.
