Call session on agriculture

Voicing concern over the plight of farmers in the country,the Opposition on Monday demanded a special session of Parliament to discuss problems related to the agriculture sector. Opposition members joined hands after BJP leader Rajnath Singh raised the issue during zero hour,demanding a stimulus package for farmers and maintaining that MNREGA should be linked with agriculture to give them a better deal. Farming should be declared national occupation as majority of the population depended on agriculture for their livelihood,he added. The BJP MP pointed to a unique form of protest by farmers in eight districts of East Godavari,where he had gone on a visit recently. Farmers there have declared a crop holiday or a strike which is unprecedented. They have decided not to sow paddy this time,as they are not even able to recover their input costs he told the Lok Sabha. He said farmers in other parts of the country were also facing similar problems and sought a Rs 10,000 per acre compensation to those affected.

He said they were also facing labour problems because of MNREGA and asked the government to address it by linking the flagship scheme to agriculture.

Bihar MPs disrupt LS

EXPRESSING dissatisfaction over Power Minister Sushilkumar Shindes reply on their queries regarding demand and supply of power to Bihar,BJP and JDU MPs from the state disrupted the proceedings of the Lok Sabha forcing the Chair to adjourn the House in the middle of Zero Hour in the evening. The issue was raised by RJDs Jagdanand Singh. His demand to for more power to Bihar from the Central pool got support from BJPs Shahnawaj Hussain.

Keep off Gujarats affairs: BJP MP

THE sanctity of federalism and its place in the countrys polity was invoked by a BJP MP in Lok Sabha on Monday to caution the Centre against interferring with the Gujarat governments decision to suspend IPS officers Sanjiv Bhatt and Rahul Sharma. Kirit Solanki,who represents Ahmedabad West,raised the issue and charged the Centre with trying to interfere in a matter that was within the domain of the state government. I request the Centre not to tamper with the federal structure. The Centre should not interfere in states matters, he said .