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SP walk-out over bonus for farmers

LUCKNOW: The Samajwadi Party walked out of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday following the State Government’s refusal to announce a bonus for farmers on the support price for wheat. The issue figured during Zero Hour.

Raising the issue, Ambika Chaudhary of the Samajwadi Party said the farmers were faced with a critical situation as they were not getting remunerative price for the wheat crop. He said they were faced with starvation in Bundelkhand and other parts of the State.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Lalji Verma said that the minimum support price for wheat is declared by the Central Government and the State Government has no say in the declaration of the price. On this, the Samajwadi member said the support price is announced by the Centre, but the State Government can declare bonus for the farmers.

When the Parliamentary Affairs Minister remained non-committal on announcing the bonus, the Samajwadi members walked out of the House.

The issue also figured in the Vidhan Parishad where the entire Question Hour was lost after the Samajwadi Party members entered the well of the House. They were demanding bonus for farmers.

Meanwhile, the Assembly Speaker, Sukhdev Rajbhar, directed the Government to ensure security of a Samajwadi MLA, Sibghat Ansari. Mr. Ansari raised his security issue during Zero Hour when he narrated how his convoy was stopped by plainclothesmen “armed with AK 47 rifles” near Ahimamau village on Lucknow-Sultanpur road on February 24.

He said they identified 21 persons, including some of his relatives, who were with him and said they were members of the Mukhtar Ansari gang. Mr. Ansari said fake cases were registered against them, and alleged that there was a conspiracy to eliminate him.

The Parliamentary Affairs Minister said according to the report of the Lucknow Senior Superintendent of Police, the men tried to intimidate the police and Special Task Force team. Mr. Verma said the police seized arms and ammunition, mobile phones and impounded about half a dozen vehicles, which had no papers.

Defending the Samajwadi Party MLA, Pramod Tiwari of the Congress said there was a threat to Mr. Ansari and his family. He demanded that the member be given proper protection.

PTI reports:

Meanwhile, the teachers group members, backed by the Opposition in the Vidhan Parishad, took the State Government to task on the reported recommendation by the District Inspector of Schools (DIOS), Ballia, for action against some teachers under the proposed UPCOCA.

Raising the issue through an adjournment notice, they alleged that the move was meant to intimidate teachers.

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