World | India
Drought debate demand disrupts monsoon session
The monsoon session of the Maharashtra state's legislature began on Wednesday with noisy scenes over the opposition demand for a discussion on the drought situation.
- By Pamela Raghunath, Correspondent
- Published: 00:05 July 17, 2008
Mumbai: The monsoon session of the Maharashtra state's legislature began on Wednesday with noisy scenes over the opposition demand for a discussion on the drought situation.
The House was adjourned thrice over the matter as Leader of Opposition Ramdas Kadam of the Shiv Sena, repeatedly stood up demanding adjournment of the day's business to discuss the drought.
He was supported by senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Gopinath Munde and Eknath Khadse as well as Peasants and Workers Party leader Ganapatrao Deshmukh.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshvardhan Patil said the government was ready for the discussion if the matter was taken up under rule 101 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business.
The opposition had come prepared to pull up the Congerss party-led Democratic Front government by first boycotting the customary tea party hosted by Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh on Tuesday.
To make their point clear, two BJP members of the House Dilip Yelgaonkar from Khatav constituency in Satara district and Suresh Khade from Jath in Sangli used bicycles to reach the legislative House.
They were demanding that the state should be declared "drought hit" though Deshmukh had announced that the state was going through a drought-like situation.
The two legislators carried placards, empty bags and bundles of straw to show how the dry spell had affected the farmers.
More than half the state has received less than 40 per cent of rainfall this season, with districts like Solapur, Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Sangli and Latur having received rainfall for just two to nine days. The state has admitted that it is a worrying situation.
The Shiv Sena-BJP combine on Tuesday demanded the resignation of Revenue Minister Narayan Rane since the Bombay High Court had passed strictures against him.
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