Walkout in Assembly over price fall of coconut

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPI (M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) Thursday staged a walkout in Kerala Assembly in protest against the denial of an adjournment motion seeking discussion over price fall of coconut affecting the livelihood of 40 lakh farmers in the state.

Seeking the leave of the House to move the adjournment motion in this regard, opposition member K V Vijayadas alleged that import of coconut oil and the wrong economic policies of the centre and the state governments led to the price fall of coconut. Urging the government to allocate separate fund in the budget to arrest the price fall and provide support price to the farmers on the line of scheme implemented for rubber growers, he said the import of coconut oil from Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Philippines were continuing.

The ASIAN agreement was also another reason for the price fall of coconut in the State, he added. In his reply, Agriculture Minister K P Mohanan said the import of 2000 tonnes of coconut oil by the Centre through State Trading Corporation led to the present crisis in the State. Stating that various Government agencies including Krishi Bhavan and Kerafed are procuring coconuts from farmers ensuring support price of Rs 25 per kg, he said. Following the reply, Speaker N Sakthan denied permission to move the adjournment motion. In protest against the government stand, Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan trooped the opposition members out of the House.

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