This story is from March 17, 2015

Cong MLAs raise crop damage issue

Congress MLAs were suspended, for a day, from the assembly when they insisted that the government allow them to discuss the damage caused to crops in the state by unseasonal rains.
Cong MLAs raise crop damage issue
AHMEDABAD: Congress MLAs were suspended, for a day, from the assembly when they insisted that the government allow them to discuss the damage caused to crops in the state by unseasonal rains.
Rejecting their demand, Speaker Ganpat Vasava, said that earlier in the day Congress MLAs and other legislators had moved a resolution seeking intervention by the government in the matter of damage caused to crops due to unseasonal rains.
The matter would be discussed in a day or two and he couldn’t permit discussion on the same issue twice, Vasava said.
On Monday, as soon as the assembly began business, Dehgam MLA Kaminiba Rathod sought to know from the government during question hour, what steps it had taken to save crops from damage by pigs and Neelgai. While asking the question, Rathod had also referred to damage by unseasonal rains. However, she was not allowed to raise the issue.
Leader of opposition, Shankersinh Vaghela, intervened and demanded that the Speaker allow a debate on damage by unseasonal rain.
When the Speaker turned down the request, Congress MLAs began shouting slogans. For the first time during this assembly session, the speaker suspended Question Hour.
Soon after the house reassembled at 1 pm after a break, Congress MLAs again demanded discussion, and rushed into the well with placards. The Speaker asked the protesting legislators to sit down as he had already permitted a discussion which would come up later. Instead, the Congress MLAs sat down in the well. The speaker then asked the sergeants to remove the MLAs from the assembly. Congress leaders later said the state was insensitive to farmers and was running away from a discussion.

Farmers protest in city
Farmers from across Ahmedabad district on Monday observed a sit-in protest against the state government’s apathy towards farmers, near the district collector’s office. They were demanding compensation for crop losses due to unseasonal rainfall over the past month.
The Jan Sangharsh Manch, which organized the protest, said unseasonal rains were becoming a regular phenomenon, and government should do a scientific study and advise farmers appropriately.
Farmers from Sanand, Bavla and Daskroi demanded that they be supplied irrigation water from the Narmada canal so they can save their winter paddy crop. Their crop was already damaged by rain and hail. Potato growers also expressed concern over a glut. They were also demanding storage space for potatoes lying in the fields.
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