JD(U), BJP in verbal duel in Bihar house

Patna: Ruling JD(U) and opposition BJP today indulged in intense verbal duel in Bihar Assembly over the issue of slow process of paddy procurement forcing adjournment of the House twice.

The trouble started in the House as soon as the day proceedings started by Speaker Uday Narayan Choudhary as Leader of the Opposition Nand Kishore Yadav sought suspension of the proceedings to take up the issue of slow paddy procurement for which farmers were in hardship.

The BJP members trooped into the well and started shouting anti-government slogans.

At this, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said the government was ready for any kind of discussion on such an important issue and asked the Chair to decide date and time for it.

"The government is open to any positive suggestion on the issue and will act promptly on them," Kumar said.

But, this did not impress BJP members who continued disrupting him and shouted slogans against the government.

When opposition leader rose to speak, JD(U) members also rose from their seats and shouted against the party.

Amid pandemonium, Parliamentary Affairs minister Shrawan Kumar said that when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was recently faced ire of opposition in Lok Sabha on release of a terrorist in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkiah Naidu appealed to the opposition to maintain decorum.

"Then why BJP MLAs are shouting when CM is speaking," he asked.

With calm eluding the House, the Speaker first adjourned the House till 12 o'clock and later till 2 PM.

Later, the opposition leader told reporters that against a target of procuring 30 lakh tonnes of paddy by March 31, the state government had purchased not more than 10 lakh tonnes so far.

He alleged that the government to avoid anger of farmers had fixed a discussion on the issue on April 6 after expiry of target date for procurement on March 31.

Yadav alleged despite claim of making payment to farmers within 48 hours, no money was given to them even after 8 days.

Food Minister Shyam Rajak charged the opposition with creating disturbances merely to gain publicity. He told reporters the issue was part of a starred question on which government was ready to reply but the opposition disturbed the house beforehand.