The government has procured 13 lakh tonnes of foodgrain since purchase started on November 15 last year, co-operative minister Alok Mehta said in the Assembly on Saturday in reply to the BJP's claim of the administration being slack in the work.
Vinod Kumar Singh raised the question to which Mehta stressed that foodgrain purchase was done to save the farmers from distress sale.
"Initially, we had started purchase of foodgrain only in five districts because of early harvest there. There were problems because of the Food Corporation of India's refusal to accept foodgrain with more than 17 per cent moisture. But things have picked up. Bihar has procured the highest amount of foodgrain in India from its farmers," Mehta said, pointing out that 134 tonnes of foodgrain production was expected in the just-concluded harvest season.
The BJP claimed the government had set a target to purchase 30 lakh tonnes foodgrain but bought only 60 tonnes. Mehta denied that any such target had been fixed.
March 31 is the last date for the foodgrain purchase work. Mehta said because of the government's initiative, farmers were able to get the minimum support price of Rs 1,370 per quintal for their produce.
Among the other matters that came up in the Assembly was the effect of the prolonged cold on pulses cultivation in the state. Agriculture minister Ram Vichar Rai denied any adverse effect on pulses. "If there is such a complaint, I will get it surveyed," he said. "But right now the question of paying compensation to farmers does not arise."
The urban development minister, Maheshwar Hazari, announced a probe into Sanjay Saraogi's charge that costly machines purchased by the Darbhanga Municipal Corporation were lying unused for the past 18 months.
During Question Hour, Leader of the Opposition Prem Kumar questioned the whereabouts of JDU MLA Mewalal Choudhary.
Choudhary is wanted by police in connection with alleged irregularities committed in appointments during his tenure as the Sabour Agriculture University vice-chancellor and has not been attending legislative work. But his questions have been coming up regularly during this session. On Friday, his question on environmental change and its impact in Bihar was put up in the House.
The question was not answered because the MLA was not present - MLAs do not have to be personally present for submitting questions to the Assembly secretariat for being asked during the proceedings.
Leader of Opposition Prem said: "Where is Mewalal Choudhary? The government appears to be protecting him."
Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary said so far as the Assembly was concerned, Mewalal was not present in the House to ask his questions.
During Zero Hour, both BJP and CPI-ML MLAs stormed into the Well, demanding removal of ministers Krishnandan Prasad Verma (PHED department) and Alok Mehta whose names have surfaced for recommending names of candidates in the auxiliary nurse midwife recruitment drive by the Bihar Staff Selection Commission. The legislators also demanded a CBI probe.
"When the question leak scam surfaced, chief minister Nitish Kumar asked us to take names of ministers who are involved. Now that the names have surfaced he should take immediate action and remove them from his ministry," Prem said before the House was adjourned.
