Maharashtra: Fall in onion prices echoes in legislature
The Legislative Council, meanwhile, was adjourned for the day on Tuesday after Leader of Opposition Ambadas Danve demanded a discussion on falling onion and cotton prices, resulting in an argument between Opposition and ruling party members.
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Protest at the Assembly premises over steep fall in prices of onion. (Express photo by Ganesh Shirsekar) As Chief Minister Eknath Shinde told the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday that National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (Nafed) has initiated purchase of onions from farmers who are suffering from falling prices, Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar alleged that saying no such process has begun yet.
The Legislative Council, meanwhile, was adjourned for the day on Tuesday after Leader of Opposition Ambadas Danve demanded a discussion on falling onion and cotton prices, resulting in an argument between Opposition and ruling party members.
In the Assembly, Pawar raised the issue of falling onion prices during the Question Hour, demanding the state government’s intervention and assistance from the Centre to initiate export of onions. The MLAs from both Opposition and the ruling side claimed that onion farmers are suffering and needed the government to look into the matter.
Maintaining that the government stands with the farmers and will extend all possible help, Shinde said, “The Nafed has already started the purchase of onions and till now, 2.38 MT of onion has been purchased.”
As the Opposition claimed that no such process has begun, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dared the Opposition to file a breach of privilege motion against Shinde, if the information provided by him was untrue.
Later in the day, speaking on the congratulatory motion on the Governor’s speech, Pawar said that he does not want “a false thing” to be put on record. “No such process has been initiated by Nafed as of now,” he added.
In the Legislative Council, Danve demanded that the House should discuss issues related to falling onion prices, but the same was denied by Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe, leading to MLCs of ruling and Opposition parties arguing and levelling charges against each other.
Gorhe adjourned the House twice but when the ruckus continued, she adjourned it for the rest of the day.
Speaking to the media outside the Vidhan Bhavan, Danve said the government wants to silence the voice of the Opposition and does not wish to discuss the issues faced by farmers.
“Onion prices have fallen between Rs 2 and Rs 4 in Lasalgaon onion market, which is Asia’s biggest onion market. This has forced farmers to stop the auction. The farmers are suffering and we just wanted a detailed discussion on the same but the government does not care,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Opposition members from both Houses had staged a protest against the government on the onion issue.
Meanwhile, because of the adjournment, the Legislative Council could not immediately take a call on Shinde’s letter to the deputy chairperson seeking that Viplove Bajoria be made the Shiv Sena’s chief whip in the Upper House.
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