As expected, the first day of the winter session of the assembly on Monday witnessed war of words between treasury and opposition benches over the issue of paddy procurement from farmers, a subject which has kept the state’s political pot boiling for months now.
The Opposition members raised the issue of delay in procurement and other related problems, including alleged seizure of paddy from local farmers through an adjournment motion.
Brijmohan Agrawal, while speaking on the adjournment motion on the issue, said that officials are raiding godowns and vehicles of local farmer who are trying to sell their surplus paddy that is in excess to the 15 quintal to be procured by the state government under the MSP.
He said for the first time paddy has been thrown on roads by farmers in the state since its formation. He also offered to resign if the discarded paddy is proven to be from outside the state.
Congress MLA Brihaspathi Singh raised the issue of seizure of paddy from a BJP leader from bordering areas of Uttar Pradesh and said he too would resign if his claim was proved otherwise.
Brijmohan said he was citing the pain of farmers across the state, claiming that some farmers are unable to procure medicines and warm clothes.
Leader of the Opposition Dharamlal Kaushik also backed him, saying in Bilha too paddy of local farmers were seized.
Meanwhile, one of the members commented that earlier BJP MLA Ajay Chandrakar had offered to resign on loan waiver issue. BJP MLA Shivratan Sharma countered it by saying that the state government in reply to Dr Renu Jogi’s question had accepted that farmers’ loan waiver is still pending at Kota.
