Mumbai, June 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) The ongoing Monsoon session of the Maharashtra State Legislature witnessed dramatic scenes on Wednesday as a sharp verbal duel broke out between two ruling alliance legislators in the Legislative Council.
Shiv Sena MLA Bacchu Kadu and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Pravin Darekar clashed aggressively on the floor of the Assembly over the issue of crop loan waivers, forcing the Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar to intervene to restore order.
The confrontation began when the Shinde faction legislator Bacchu Kadu raised a sharp query directed at Cooperation Minister Babasaheb Patil regarding the status and implementation of farmer loan waivers.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the executive's brief response, Kadu remarked, "Answers are expected from your side, but it appears you are not providing them."
BJP legislator Pravin Darekar strongly objected to Kadu's mid-speech interruption.
Darekar said that such constant disruptions during a Minister's official reply violate Parliamentary traditions and decorum.
Turning directly to Kadu, Darekar questioned his motives, asking: "You lead agitations and represent farmers. Do you actually want concrete answers or are you just putting up a show? Is it fair to obstruct state Ministers while they are addressing the House?"
The political exchange quickly escalated into a shouting match.
Bacchu Kadu shouted back, asserting his Legislative experience, saying: "I am not new to this house!"
Pravin Darekar retaliated aggressively, saying: "Don't shout. I can shout ten times louder than you. The proceedings of this House will not run according to your style or through bullying tactics!"
As tempers flared and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, Legislative Council Chairman Ram Shinde stepped in to reprimand both members.
Shinde emphasised the absolute necessity of maintaining the House discipline and adhering to established rules.
"What is achieved by members constantly engaging in cross-talk and interrupting Ministers mid-way?" he asked.
"It is improper to abruptly cross-question senior Ministers the moment they begin speaking. Some members are relatively new, and the traditions of this House must be preserved. People are getting up, entering the well, and crossing lines at will. Please take this seriously so that I am not forced to take disciplinary action," Shinde said.
Earlier, Kadu launched a scathing attack in the Legislative Council over loopholes in the state's farm loan waiver scheme.
He targeted the stringent conditions, limits on incentive subsidies, the One-Time Settlement (OTS) scheme, and delayed disbursement of benefits.
He alleged that the complicated implementation process of the loan waiver and administrative officials are tarnishing the state government's image, leading to rising public resentment.
He demanded that the conditions imposed for the loan waiver and incentive subsidies be scrapped immediately, and that the incentive amount be increased from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,000,000.
Speaking during a discussion under Rule 260, Kadu said there is immense confusion regarding the OTS scheme and demanded that the state government clarify its stance.
He accused the state government of shifting the responsibility onto banks while executing the scheme themselves.
Citing the example of the Amravati District Central Cooperative Bank, Kadu emphasised that cooperative banks across the state need to take decisions like waiving interest.
He raised the issue of pending benefits for eligible farmers under the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shetkari Sanman Yojana and the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Shetkari Karzmukti Yojana.
Kadu added that although farmers' names appeared on the loan waiver lists, the money was never actually deposited into their bank accounts.
"Consequently, the farmers are facing difficulties in securing new loans, forcing some farmers to approach the courts."
"The state government is facing defamation due to the functioning of administrative officials. There is an urgent need to bring more simplicity to the loan waiver process," Kadu asserted.
Adding to the debate, Congress MLA Satej Patil asked why KYC verification is being mandated repeatedly when all farmer data is already available in the 'AgriStack' system.
Responding to the discussion, Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharane said, "The Chief Minister, both Deputy Chief Ministers, and all Ministers in the government come from farming backgrounds, so the state government is fully aware of the farmers' plight. Despite challenging economic conditions, the state government has taken significant decisions to provide relief to farmers, and efforts are underway to complete the loan waiver process within the stipulated time."
Concluding the debate, Legislative Council Chairman Ram Shinde noted that the matter is extremely serious.
He directed the Ministries of Agriculture, Cooperation, and other relevant departments to hold division-wise meetings with all MLAs to resolve the pending issues.
The Legislative Council Chairman also expressed the expectation that decisions offering concrete relief to farmers be taken before the conclusion of the Monsoon session of Maharashtra Assembly.
Source: IANS
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