“Crippled” Pawar not suffice to reply on agri crisis: Oppn

Dec 19, 2011 |

New Delhi

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A united Opposition on Monday demanded in Rajya Sabha that several ministers connected with the farm sector should be present in the House to reply to a debate on agrarian crisis because agriculture minister Sharad Pawar has "no power" and is "crippled" in taking decisions.

"Agriculture minister has no power. His responding to the debate is not going to suffice," BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu said when deputy chairman K. Rahman Khan asked Pawar to give reply to the debate on agriculture which took place last week.

Naidu said since several other ministries are concerned with the subject — ministers of finance, commerce, Panchayati Raj and Irrigation — they should also be present in the House at the time of reply.

Making a similar demand, Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) said the agriculture minister is "very crippled in taking decisions".

He said that the Opposition was expecting that given the gravity of the agrarian crisis, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee would be available in the House when government responds to the issues raised by the members.

"Though I am not going to use the pun that Venkaih Naidu used that Pawar is without power, but he alone is not going to answer many questions," Yechury said while Pawar was seen smiling.

When similar demands were made by other Opposition parties including CPI and BSP, Khan adjourned the House for 10 minutes at 12.25 hours.

However, senior member P.J. Kurien (Congress) assumed the Chair after 10 minutes to announce adjournment of the House up to 2 00 PM.

Minister of state for parliamentary affairs Rajeev Shuklasaid the Opposition did not make such demand at the time of debate.

It is a tradition that the minister concerned with the subject replies to the debate, he said, adding in any case the Cabinet has a collective responsibility.

Last week, members discussed the crisis before the agriculture sector. They demanded a special session of Parliament to find solutions to the problems faced by farmers which included rising input cost and increasing number of suicides by debt-ridden farmers.

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