Cong stages walkout over crop damage due to rain, says farmer woes ignored
Opposition Congress staged a walkout in the Rajasthan assembly on Monday alleging that the state government was turning a blind eye to the woes of farmers whose standing crops were damaged due to rain and hailstorm on Sunday.
Mild to moderate unseasonal rain and hailstorm Sunday damaged standing crop in several parts of the state. State capital Jaipur, Alwar, Sawai Madhopur and Jhunjhunu were most affected. Chief minister Vasundhara Raje had later in the evening ordered officials to conduct an early survey of damaged crops.
During the Zero Hour, Congress chief whip Govind Singh Dotasara raised the issue saying that farmers were distressed as the hailstorm has damaged their entire crop. The state government, he said, seemed least concerned about the farmers.
In reply, home minister Gulab Chand Kataria accused the Congress of trying to hog the limelight.
“Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje without any delay has ordered to prepare a report to estimate the crop damage. An immediate action was taken in the matter by the state government.” Kataria said.
“The opposition is just trying to remain in the headlines and is not serious over the issue,” Kataria said, adding if the Congress was serious about the issue, it should have raised it in the House through adjournment motion.
“The Congress legislators should be shameful of the motions that it moved in the House today. If they were serious, they should have moved a motion in the House as the government was ready to discuss the issue,” Kataria said.
Speaker Kailash Meghwal asked the Congress legislators to let the House proceed, but they continued disrupting the proceedings and trooped into the well.
Members of the ruling party and the opposition continued to exchange barbs and then the Congress walked out of the House.
JAIPUR:The
OFFICIALS PUTTING DIGNITY OF HOUSE AT STAKE: BJP MLA
Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Ghanshyam Tiwari Monday alleged that state government officials were putting the dignity of the assembly at stake by tabling annual reports in the House on the day of discussion on demands for grants.
Parliamentary affairs minister Rajendra Rathore assured the Chair that explanation would be sought from officials concerned for delay in tabling annual reports.
Raising a point of order in the assembly, Ghanshyam Tiwari, who has been at loggerheads with the Vasundhara Raje government over various issues, objected to tabling annual report of the education department on the day of discussion on demands for grants and walked out of the House.
“I had come prepared to speak on education scenario. Department officials have put the dignity of the House at stake by tabling annual report on the day of discussion on demands for grants. I will not speak today,” he said before walking out of the House.
The state parliamentary affairs minister said, “All officials concerned will personally give explanation before the Chair on March 12 and I will also be present.”
On February 27, Deputy Speaker Rao Rajendra Singh had directed officials of over 70 departments to give a written apology for delay in tabling annual reports in the House saying it was becoming a trend.
COLA SHORTAGE WON’T AFFECT POWER SUPPLY, SAYS MINISTER
Energy minister Pushpendra Singh Monday assured the state assembly that electricity supply will not be affected due to shortage of coal.
Pushpendra Singh informed the House that all thermal power plants have stock of 6-7 days and on demand regular supply is being made.
During Question Hour, the minister informed that since last December, no thermal plant has been closed due to shortage of coal.
The Central Electricity Authority guidelines say that plant at a distance from pithead should have 30 days reserve coal stock but due to lack of production and unavailability of railway rakes, the standard stock could not be maintained.
“We are in correspondence with the central government over the issue and even the chief minister has spoken to Union minister Piyush Goyal. State plants consume 16 rakes of coal whole regular supply of 17-18 rakes is maintained,” he said.
He informed that the Rajasthan Rajya Vidhyut Utpadan Nigam, which had made ~2600 crore loss during previous government, has now shown profit of ~400 crore.