Farmers suicide issue rocks Parliament

New Delhi, Feb 27 (UNI) Non-UPA parties today forced the adjournment of both Houses of Parliament for the day on the farmers' suicide issue.

As soon as the Houses assembled in the morning, members from the non-treasury benches vociferously raised the farmers issue, saying they were being driven to commit suicide becauses of indebtedness and asked for a waiver of their loans.

The determined opposition members wanted that the issue should take priority over other business, seeking suspension of the Question Hour.

Amid the uproar, the presiding officers of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha adjourned their respective Houses till 1200 hrs.

When the Houses re-assembled, the situation was no different as the members continued with sloganeering while pressing for their demand. When the members did not heed the repeated pleas by the Chair to restore order, they adjourned the Houses for the day.

In the Lok Sabha, the opposition NDA and members of the SP, BSP and TDP had trooped into the well of the House, demanding the waiver of farmers' loans. They also raised slogans like ''Stop shedding crocodile tears on the farmers issue''.

Members of the CPI, CPI(M), Forward Bloc and the RSP also seemed to be raising similar demands, standing at their respective places.

In the Rajya Sabha, members belonging to the NDA, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party trooped into the well of the House, raising slogans against the ''anti-farmer attitude'' of the Government.

While the Lok Sabha virtually could not transact any business except the laying of papers on the table and the written submissions under rule 377, the Rajya Sabha approved a statutory resolution approving imposition of President's Rule in Nagaland and the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2007. The Bill provides for an increase in payment of maternity benefits for various categories of women workers employed in establishments having more than ten workers.

UNI MCN/KAS RR AS1406