NDA walks out of Lok Sabha over slow wheat procurement

New Delhi, April 30 (IANS) The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the Bharatiya Janata Party Monday walked out in protest in the Lok Sabha saying the government should help the farmers suffering due to procurement problems across the country.

"What do we do in here when the leader of the house has left," Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj said referring to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who had just exited the house.

She then asked the NDA members to walk out.

Earlier, Janata Dal-United leader and NDA convener Sharad Yadav raised the issue during zero hour and asked the government to make a statement on the plight of the farmers whose crop is not being procured by the state and central government agencies.

Members of the Akali Dal and the Communist Party of India-Marxist associated with the issue.

Asking the government to set up a war room to address the problems related to wheat procurement, Yadav said if the issue was not resolved in time, the farmers could agitate on the streets.

"You should open a war room...it is difficult for us to go to the people in this situation," said Yadav, adding: "Jute bags are not available in many areas to facilitate procurement of wheat."

Stating the farmers of the country have worked hard to produce a bumper crop for the third year in row, Yadav highlighted that there was not enough space available to store the foodgrain.

The wheat procurement season starts April and ends in June. Progress on building storage capacity has been very slow, resulting in a lot of grain being wasted as it has to be stored in the open.