Sena MLAs join demand for relief to pest-hit farmers

NAGPUR, Dec 16: Non-committal statements by Chief Minister Manohar Joshi and Agriculture Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil pushed the allia...

NAGPUR, Dec 16: Non-committal statements by Chief Minister Manohar Joshi and Agriculture Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil pushed the alliance government in a tight corner in the State Legislative Assembly on the issue of compensation to farmers badly hit by the outbreak of pest.

The issue of damage to crop on an unprecedented scale was raised by vocal Congress member R R Patil through a call-attention notice. Raising supplementaries, members cutting across the party lines demanded compensation to a large number of farmers in the State whose crop suffered extensive damage because of outbreak of bollworm pest on cotton and by attack of multiplicity of pests on pulses.

The worst affected are the cotton and pulses cultivators of Vidarbha. Cotton crop over 11.09 lakh hectare is threatened by the outbreak of bollworm pest. Also affected are tur crop over 3.70 lakh hectare and gram crop over 81,000 hectares. The crops are badly hit as repeated pesticides spraying have proved totally ineffective in controlling the pest and the farmers going in for expensive pesticides have suffered heavy losses.

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In the forefront in highlighting their woes were R R Patil, Rohidas Patil, Shrawan Parate, Khushal Bopche (Congress) and Pandurang Dhole (JD). They were spurred by an unexpected support from the treasury benches when Shiv Sena member Prataprao Jadhav forcefully pleaded for compensation up to Rs 5000 and waiver of crop loan.

The members grilled Vikhe-Patil who found it difficult to wriggle out of the tight situation. At this stage, the Leader of Opposition Madhukar Pichad rose to demand a firm commitment from the government and forced the Chief Minister Joshi to intervene. But Joshi’s non-committal statement only aggravated the problem. The entire Opposition reacted with loud protest.

They wanted the Chief Minister to make a categorical statement about the compensation amount and the payment schedule.

Members were of the view that the State Government should immediately extend sufficient financial assistance to the cotton growers so that they would be in a position to spray another heavy dose of pesticide to save the standing crop. Delay in launching pest control measures would prove disastrous, they warned.

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In response to their repeated pleas for early aid, the Agriculture Minister maintained that the pest-affected farmers would be treated at par with those affected by the natural calamity and compensation would be paid after studying the cases as per the rules. Not satisfied with his reply, members demanded that the minister should come out with a categorical reply.

After another bout of slogan-shouting and Pichad’s pointed query about the aid quantum and its payment schedule, the Chief Minister rose again.

Gesticulating at former ministers including Dr Padamsingh Patil and Rohidas Patil, the Chief Minister remarked that at least they should not leave their seats and maintain the decorum. Taking strong objection, Dr Patil made a snide remark which evoked an instant sharp reaction from the Sena benches.

Some of them even tried to rush to the Opposition benches. Sensing their mood, the Deputy Speaker Sharad Tasre, who was in the Chair, adjourned the House for ten minutes.The Government has agreed to hike the procurement price for jowar affected by unseasonal rains, stated Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Haribhau Bagde.