Oppn raises paddy bonus issue in Bihar Assembly

The NDA today demanded that the Bihar government should pay an enhanced bonus of Rs 500 per quintal to paddy growers in the state.
Members of NDA constituents -- BJP, LJP, HAM and RLSP -- took up the issue in the State Assembly and asked the government to make an announcement on providing bonus to farmers at the rate of Rs 500 per quintal against Rs 300 at present.
BJP's Tar Kishore Prasad raised the issue during the Zero Hour. Leader of the Opposition Prem Kumar, his predecessor Nand Kishore Yadav and other legislators of the NDA joined in and demanded that the Bihar government make a "categorical announcement" in this regard.

Questioning the government's silence on the issue, Kumar said it was for the first time in the history of Bihar that some farmers allegedly committed suicide due to agrarian reasons earlier this year.
The government should be sensitive towards the issue, he said.
Yadav and other members sought a reply from the state government on the matter. The Chief Minister was not present in the House when the matter was taken up.
Finance Minister Abdul Bari Siddiqui said the state government would make a statement on the subject "at a time of their choosing."
Seeking to turn tables on BJP, he said that none of the BJP governments across the country has given bonus to paddy growers like Bihar has.