Oppn attacks govt on naxal violence,price rise

He said places where rail track density was less,there was less development and these areas witnessed Left wing extremism.

Panda said railway tracks had been laid at a very slow pace in Kalahandi,Bolangir and Koraput region of Orissa.

He alleged the Centre was not cooperating with the Orissa government in correcting anomalies in the list of BPL card-holders.

Rajiv Ranjan Singh (JD-U) said it has become “fashionable” for the government to quote GDP growth as a measure of progress and maintained that while 65 per cent of the population was involved in agriculture,government was more concerned about the industry and the service sector.

He said price rise can be checked only if the government focused on agriculture instead of industries.

Lalan also pointed out that some areas were affected by naxalism as there was no development there.

On Women’s Reservation Bill,which is likely to be tabled in Parliament on March 8,he said it should be passed after evolving a consensus among all parties and not just on the basis of majority vote.

T K S Elangovan (DMK) said his party wanted the Centre to introduce the Food Security Bill in this session so that soaring prices of foodgrains could be brought under control and punitive action taken against hoarders.

He regretted that the President’s address did not call for a negotiated political settlement to the Sri Lankan ethnic issue and only talked about support to rehabilitation of the internally displaced people in the war-torn island nation.

Elangovan wanted the Centre to spell out its action plan to implement Sethu Samudram Project to allow shipping through the Palk Straits.

Basudeb Acharia (CPI-M) said the address lacked “tangible relief” for the people suffering due to price rise,which had touched a 26-year high.

Amidst interruptions by Trinamool Congress members,he said a particular political party was extending support to Left extremists in West Bengal,which did not face the Maoist scourge until three years ago.

After the CPI-M member made a reference to a Union Minister while touching upon the Maoist problem,Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V Narayanasamy raised a point of order citing rules that provided for a notice before making any allegation or incriminatory remarks against a minister.

Nageswara Rao (TDP) slammed the Centre for neglecting agriculture,due to which farmers were quitting the sector and migrating to the cities in search of work.

Anant Geete (Shiv Sena) said the budget and President’s address did not have anything for the common man and farmers.

He said the National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme had failed across the country.

Prabodh Panda (CPI) lashed out at the government’s “inability” to rein in the rising prices of essential commodities.

He said the President’s address was lacking in measures taken to tackle price rise.

Panda wanted the government to come clear on foreign policy and asked for a clarification on India’s relations with Iran. He expressed shock on the growing closeness of the government to the US even in the field of agriculture.

Hailing the government’s resolve to fight naxalism,he said,“I welcome what the President said on Maoist violence.” Raghuvansh Prasad Singh (RJD) criticised the government for its “failure” to control “galloping prices” of essential commodities.

He wanted the government to control market prices of essential commodities in the same manner in which minimum support price for farmers was fixed.

Singh said despite women being in key positions in polity,over six lakh women do not get proper remuneration for their work in rural areas.

He said the proposal to introduce reservation for the fairer sex was “betrayal” of women as it does not specify benefits for women belonging to backward classes.

Sher Singh Ghubaya (SAD) wanted Sikhs,who had left the country in the aftermath of Operation Bluestar,to be allowed to return to their motherland.

He wanted Scheduled Caste status for the backward classes in Sikh community in Himachal Pradesh and other states.

Yogi Adityanath (BJP) contended that the country was in the grip of terror and the government had no clear policies to tackle the menace.

He criticised the government’s move to hold talks with Pakistan,which were suspended in the aftermath of the terror attack on Mumbai on November 26,2008.

Adityanath said naxals were able to spread their influence in over 200 districts of the country because of the “mistake” the government had committed in 2004 by offering to hold peace talks with them.

“The mistake of 2004 should not be repeated. The talks offer of 2004 was utilised by the naxals to spread their network from 54 districts in 2004 to over 200 now,” he said.

Adityanath also accused the government of being hand-in-glove with hoarders as it was unable to control the prices of essential commodities.

On Maoist violence in West Bengal,Shubendu Adhikari (Trinamool Congress) said there was an illegal nexus between the ruling CPI(M) and Maoists.

“Central forces should take appropriate action in this regard. More than 300 TMC workers have lost their lives since the Lok Sabha elections,” he said adding that the CRPF should work in this area independently without help from the local police.

Mali Ram (BSP) said there were poor families even among the upper castes who too should be given employment under NREGA.

Inder Singh Namdhari (Independent) mentioned the issue of ‘Bhindranwale shirts’ made by China being sold in Punjab and said the Government should not bow down to China.

“We seem to have closed our eyes as far as China is concerned,” he said.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad said “India is not scared of China,the government is scared”.