EXCM urges PM to recall 2 ministers from tour

Prithviraj Chavan says agriculture minister Pandurang Fundkar and food minister Girish Bapat should return from their trip to tackle farmer crisis

Congress leader and former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked him to immediately recall two senior state ministers, who are part of a 16-member delegation, from a tour of Australia, New Zealand and Singapore to tackle the farmer crisis. Civil supplies minister Girish Bapat and agriculture minister Pandurang Fundkar are with their spouses on the tour, which ends on May 16.

Shiv Sena leader and environment minister Ramdas Kadam joined the Opposition chorus, saying it was insensitive to go on the tour when farmers were in trouble.

The delegation is led by Ramraje Nimbalkar, chairman of the legislative council, and Haribhau Bagade, speaker of legislative assembly.

The Opposition and activists have criticised the politicians for overlooking agrarian challenges, from falling rates of the produce to the unavailability of fresh loans to the rising number of suicides among farmers.

In the letter, Chavan wrote, “I don’t know if they (the two state ministers) have taken an official permission from you (PM Modi), but even in that case, both of them should be called back immediately,” he said.

Chavan asked why the ministers were on leave even as farmers in Vidarbha and Marathwada were struggling to get the minimum support price for their produce. Farmers are protesting against the government for the distress sale of tur as it has stopped procuring the produce. He also reminded Modi that the production of pulses increased only after his appeal to that effect.

“Parliamentary tours are routine. I don’t mind the legislators going as delegates. But they should not have gone at the hour of agrarian crisis,” Chavan told HT.

On May 4, HT had first reported that a 16-member delegation was touring Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.

Shiv Sena leader and environment minister Ramdas Kadam too criticised the leaders on the tour. “Touring foreign countries when farmers are in distress shows insensitivity. Former Shiv Sena chief late Balasaheb Thackeray had cancelled one such tour when the party was in power. At the same time, the opposition has no right to hold Sangharsh Yatra when their legislators are part of the tour,” he said.

Finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, however, dismissed the criticism. “We followed all norms for the tour, which was pre-approved. It is true that the farmers are facing crisis, but other ministers and the chief minister are capable to handle any situation. The tour to other countries is nothing new and even during the Congress rule, the legislators used to go on such trips.”

Meanwhile, the Congress leadership said that three of its legislators did not seek permission from the party to participate in the trip. These Congress leaders are Manikrao Thakre, deputy chairman of the legislative council, Sharad Ranpise, Congress group leader in the upper house, and MLC Sanjay Dutt. “When we are fighting for farmers by holding Sangharsh Yatra and create an environment against the government, the legislators from the Congress and NCP have poured cold water on our fight,” a Congress leader said.