Raipur
The fourth day of the Chhattisgarh Assembly’s Monsoon Session witnessed an uproar over the supply of DAP (diammonium phosphate) fertiliser. Opposition members, led by Leader of Opposition Charandas Mahant, former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, and former minister Umesh Patel, accused the government of depriving farmers by channelling DAP to the private sector.
Congress MLAs protested vigorously, entering the well of the House and raising slogans. Despite repeated requests from Speaker Dr Raman Singh to return to their seats, the agitating legislators continued their protest. Dr Singh expressed his displeasure, stating that the opposition was breaking a 25-year-old parliamentary tradition and undermining established norms. Following the continued disruption, he adjourned the House. Proceedings resumed after a five-minute break.
DAP Shortage Raised
Congress MLA Umesh Patel initiated the discussion on DAP supply, asking about the storage target, actual storage, and distribution to traders and farmers through cooperative societies. Agriculture Minister Ramvichar Netam replied that the target was 3.10 lakh metric tonnes, with 1.18 lakh metric tonnes received until June. He added that a large consignment of DAP rakes was expected in the coming four to five days, which would improve supply.
Patel highlighted that the current storage was less than 50 per cent of the target. Minister Netam admitted to the DAP shortage, attributing it to a global issue and stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government was working to streamline the system.
Modi’s Name Sparks Further Protests
The mention of Prime Minister Modi’s name triggered further protests from Congress MLAs, who accused the Agriculture Minister of delivering a political speech. They reiterated their accusation that the government was favouring the private sector in DAP distribution, leading to more chaos.
Speaker Dr Raman Singh intervened, suggesting that the government should ensure 100 per cent of DAP is supplied through cooperative societies, not the private sector, considering the state’s situation. The Agriculture Minister assured the House that the government intended to implement this system soon.
Congress MLAs Stage Sit-in in Well
The protesting Congress MLAs, including Bhupesh Baghel, entered the well of the House chanting slogans like ‘DAP fertiliser must be provided’, ‘Anti-farmer government will not last’, and ‘Agriculture Minister, resign’.
Dr Raman Singh declared the Congress MLAs suspended for entering the well and asked them to leave. However, the legislators ignored his directive and continued their sit-in and sloganeering. Home Minister Vijay Sharma objected, stating that the suspended members were obstructing House proceedings and setting a new precedent. Dr Singh again asked them to leave, but the Congress MLAs remained defiant.
Speaker Adjourns House for the Day
Subsequently, Dr Raman Singh stood and addressed the House. He stated that the opposition members had continuously engaged in unparliamentary behaviour and had refused to leave the House despite multiple requests. He emphasised that their actions were undermining the 25-year-old traditions of the Chhattisgarh Assembly, which reflected poorly on the state’s parliamentary standards. Given the continued disruption, he adjourned the House.
Housing Board to Adopt Pre-Booking Model for Projects
Raipur
Finance Minister O P Choudhary on Thursday addressed questions from ruling party MLAs regarding the Chhattisgarh Housing Board and colonisers’ licences. Ajay Chandrakar and Sushant Shukla raised concerns about unsold Housing Board properties, questioning the basis for constructing houses that remain unsold for years.
Minister Choudhary acknowledged Chandrakar’s concerns about vacant and unsold houses, stating that a new policy was being implemented. He informed the House that tenders for any new Housing Board project would only be issued once 60 per cent pre-booking was achieved. An exception was made for projects where 30 per cent pre-booking was secured within three months of the project launch, allowing for an earlier tender.
