Rajya Sabha adjourned twice over slashing of import duty on wheat

Vibha sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 9

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned twice on Friday following uproar by the Opposition over slashing of import duty on wheat to zero per cent. Opposition members shouted slogans like "anti-farmer government will not be allowed to function".

There is no shortage of wheat, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan insisted. The decision, Paswan said, had been taken keeping in mind the rising prices.

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He said: "Whenever there is an increase in prices in domestic market, such interventions are required."   The international prices of the wheat are down, reasoned BJP leader Purushottam Rupala. However, Opposition leaders refused to buy the argument.

Speaking in the Zero Hour, CPM leader Sitaram Yechury termed the  government's decision to reduce the import duty on wheat to zero as  "shameful " .

As per Yechury , the government was "afraid that because of demonetisation, there may be food riots in the country." "This is shameful, Yechury said "condemning" the decision.

While his plea moving a motion on the issue was struck down by Deputy Chairman Kurien, he was joined in by other Opposition parties who too called the decision “anti-farmer and a serious matter”.

"The issue is not of prices, but buffer stocks. If buffer stock is so high why is import duty been reduced to zero. This is a complete slap on the faces of Indian farmers. They have no cash for fertlisers and seeds and now this," Jairam Ramesh of the Congress said.

Sitaram Yechury of the CPI (M) raised the issue, which was supported by the Congress, the Bahujan Samaj Party and others.

Kurien asked the members to maintain silence and let the House function, but they did not pay any attention to his pleas. The house was then adjourned till noon.

The protest over the issue continued with Opposition shouting slogans like “kisan virodhi ye sarkar nhi chalegi” forcing Ansari to adjourn the House again till 2.30 pm.