NC legislator, Agriculture Minister lock horns over farmers’ issues

Legislative Council
NC legislator, Agriculture Minister lock horns
over farmers’ issues
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 28
National Conference (NC) legislator Ajay Sadhotra locked horns with Agriculture Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir over the issues of the farmers in the Legislative Council here today. Sadhotra, who was the Minister of State (MoS) for Agriculture in the previous NC government, did not miss any opportunity to grill Mir in the House.

During Question Hour today, Sadhotra again targeted Mir after the latter had replied to his question. Replying to a question on the basmati export policy when Mir informed the House that the total quantity of basmati sent outside the state in 2010-11 was 2,19,928 quintals but failed to give the details sought by Sadhotra. On this Sadhotra targeted the minister saying, “The minister has provided the details about the quantity of basmati sent outside the state but failed to give the names of countries to which the produce was sent. This means there is something fishy”.

Mir reacted in a diplomatic way to this charge saying, “The member (Sadhotra) tries to be pro-active farmers and we all should be that”. However, dissatisfied with the minister’s reply on all issues, Sadhotra said, “If the minister does not have the proper information at this moment, he can give it to me outside the House too. But he should not give such a reply here”.

Disturbed by Sadhotra’s remarks, Mir said, “The member has not asked this point in his main question and it is a supplementary question. Still I can give the details, as the officials have now provided me the information”.

This is not the lone incident when Sadhotra has tried to grill the Agriculture Minister. Earlier too, when the minister was replying to a question relating to the Agriculture Department in the Upper House, Sadhotra had targeted him a number of times.