Raipur, July 14 (IANS) The monsoon session of the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly commenced with vigorous exchanges and pointed confrontations, as the principal opposition, the Congress party, launched a sharp offensive over two pressing issues: the acute shortage of fertilisers and alleged irregularities in the 2024 Revenue Inspector recruitment examination.

The Congress staged a walkout in protest against irregularities in the Revenue Inspector recruitment examination 2024.

The session, which began on Monday, quickly turned contentious when the Congress moved an adjournment motion concerning the scarcity of Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP), a vital input for paddy cultivation.

Former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel accused the government of deliberately restricting fertiliser supply to suppress agricultural output, alleging that DAP priced at Rs 1300 was being sold for Rs 2100 in the open market.

He further claimed that substandard seeds were being circulated, compounding farmers’ distress.

Leader of Opposition Charandas Mahant reinforced these concerns, asserting that while private traders had access to fertilisers, government distribution channels remained barren, eroding public trust in official assurances.

In response, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai assured the House that alternative fertilisers – Nano DAP, NPK, and SSP – were being distributed across the state. He disclosed that 1,79,000 bottles of Nano DAP were currently in stock, with uninterrupted supply underway.

Nevertheless, the opposition remained dissatisfied, culminating in a walkout following heated exchanges.

Simultaneously, the Assembly witnessed uproar during Question Hour over alleged malpractices in the Revenue Inspector recruitment process.

Baghel demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, accusing the government of shielding corrupt practices. BJP MLA Rajesh Munat countered by attributing the irregularities to the previous administration.

Revenue Minister Tankaram Verma acknowledged flaws in the initial inquiry conducted by a five-member committee and confirmed that the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) was now investigating 40 specific points. He pledged decisive action before the next session.

BJP legislator Ajay Chandrakar questioned the origin of the EOW directive, to which Verma clarified that the department itself had initiated the investigation.

Finance Minister OP Choudhary tabled the Commercial Tax Amendment Bill under the Chhattisgarh VAT Act, 2005, while Forest Minister Kedar Kashyap presented the Annual Report of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act for 2023–2024.

Earlier, the members paid solemn tributes to former Governor Shekhar Dutt and former Cabinet Minister Surendra Bahadur Singh, prompting a ten-minute adjournment. Later, a brief disruption led to a five-minute suspension of proceedings as Congress MLAs raised slogans in protest.

Prior to the session, a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee was convened, attended by Chief Minister Sai, Leader of Opposition Mahant, Deputy CM Arun Saw, and other senior legislators.

The government announced that it would not present a supplementary budget during this session – the first such instance since the state’s formation.

Sources within the Assembly and Finance Department indicated that existing financial arrangements were sufficient to cover expenditures for the next quarter.

–IANS

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