Chandigarh: Opposition INLD and Congress yesterday trained their guns on the Manohar Lal Khattar-led Haryana government over alleged irregularities in paddy purchases and demanded a probe by a sitting judge of the high court into the issue.
The two parties also staged separate walkouts on the issue, on the first day of the Haryana Assembly winter session.
The House had taken up the discussion on a 'calling attention' motion moved separately by the Congress and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) which was later clubbed by the Speaker.
Earlier, before the Question Hour, the main opposition INLD had sought adjournment motion on the paddy scam, but the Speaker assured that a discussion would be held during later part of the day's proceedings.
Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Congress legislature party leader in the State Kiran Choudhry and other party legislators alleged that the Khattar government had compromised farmers' interests for benefiting rice millers.
"Farmers have been paid around Rs 1,250 as against the MSP of Rs 1,450. The rice millers had made huge profits as the prices had nearly doubled after the paddy procurement," Choudhary alleged.
The Congress pressed its demand for an inquiry by the SIT or a sitting judge of the high court to bring out the truth.
Leader of Opposition, Abhay Chautala alleged that farmers had faced huge loss due to "irregularities" in paddy procurement.
The Chief Minister and his senior Cabinet colleagues assured the opposition that no irregularities had taken place in the paddy procurement.
However, as the opposition failed to get a satisfactory reply from the government, the Congress members, led by Hooda, staged a noisy walkout.
They were followed by INLD MLAs, who first assembled near the Well of the House, before walking out.
Meanwhile, Haryana Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Abhimanyu said that the process of special girdawari (survey) to assess the extent of damage to the cotton crop due to the whitefly attack is underway, and reports from districts are expected soon.
He was replying to a separate calling-attention notice on the damage to the crops due to pest attack.
Abhimanyu said that based on the report received from the Agriculture Department, the government had directed the Deputy Commissioners to conduct special girdawari to assess the damage to the crops due to pest attack.
"The process of special girdawari is underway and reports are expected soon. Compensation would be paid to the affected farmers based on the special girdawari reports or the extent of damage as per relief norms fixed by the state which are higher than the relief norms fixed by the Central Government," he assured the House.
