A day after the annual budget offered farming sectors major sops, the Opposition and ruling parties took potshots at each other as they discussed measures to assist distressed farmers and prevent their suicides.

The day began with the Opposition carrying bhople (pumpkins) with them to show that the farmers were given nothing because the announcements made on Thursday were a complete whitewash. In colloquial Marathi, a pumpkin – bhopla – signifies zero. Later, a debate that was initiated before the budget was placed and a counter debate that the ruling party’s Dr Sanjay Kute had begun, saw the two sides arguing.

Opposition leader in the Assembly, Ajit Pawar, opened the debate, focusing mainly on the agriculture sector in view of the damages the standing crops have suffered in the unseasonal rain and climate changes. Compensation against damages and ease of farm debt was demanded. Matters related to cooperative, animal husbandry and dairy departments that are supplementary to the farming sector were also raised.

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‘Why raise caste?’

Pawar also raised the issue of farmers being asked to specify their social reservation status while registering to purchase fertiliser. “Hunger has no caste. Farmer itself is a caste,” said Pawar, while demanding to withdraw the method that has been introduced by the Centre. He said such a method was used in Sangli district where the purchase demand could be processed only after the caste column is filled in digital format having other essential inputs such as mobile number, Aadhaar number, quantity of fertilizer required, etc. “Farmers are angry, so are we in the house, for the farmers are being categorised on caste basis. Discipline the officials who have done this,” Pawar demanded, asking for better prices for farmed produce.

BJP replies

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Dr Sanjay Kute responded to Pawar aggressively. “Pawar and other Opposition leaders have nothing to talk about because Thursday’s budget has left nothing to complain about. Whatever demands we, the ruling party and Opposition, had included in our respective motions, have been addressed by Finance Minister Devendra Fadnavis,” said Dr Kute. According to Dr Kute, the Opposition demanded to know what it couldn’t resolve in the MVA government. “What did they do in the two and a half years?” he asked.

Kute said preventing farm suicides was a sensitive subject that must be dealt with truth but not with disheartening ruse. He said the international markets impacted farm produce prices and hence there was a need for long-time measures to make farming sustainable. He demanded  facilities such as irrigation, continuous power supply and affordable seed and fertilizers. He suggested to have a value adding market chain where the farmers could participate.

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