BHOPAL (Madhya Pradesh): Congress staged a walkout in state Assembly twice on Wednesday during the call attention motion on fertiliser shortage and inflated electricity bills.

First, a call attention motion was brought by Congress MLAs PC Sharma, Arif Aqueel and Kamleshwar Patel. It drew attention of government on inflated electricity bills given to people residing in slums.

Sharma said chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had announced that electricity bills of corona period will be waived but people in slums are getting bills in lakhs or rupees. Waiving a bill in the assembly, Sharma said that a person was served a bill of Rs 80,000. ìPeople lost jobs during corona period and this government is serving inflated bills and harassing them,î he remarked.

Energy minister Pradhuman Singh Tomar said chief minister never announced that electricity bills of corona period will be waived. He had said that consumers will be given relaxation in payment of bills. Tomar said that if there are inflated bills, then the consumers can complain and the bill will be rectified.

Kamleshwar Patel said that power supply is being disconnected as consumers are unable to pay inflated bills. Government is on a recovery drive forcing farmers to mortgage their belongings. Dissatisfied with reply given by energy minister, Congress members staged a walkout.

In another call attention motion, Congress members Govind Singh, Satish Sikarwar and Arif Aqueel drew attention on fertiliser crisis and its rampant black marketing in the state.

Congress members demanded to know what steps did government take to stop black marketing of fertilisers. Agriculture minister Kamal Patel said government took 12,750 samples for test out of which 1246 were found sub standard, 78 FIRs were registered and licence of 99 firms were cancelled.

Congress member Satish Sikarwar asked what action was taken on remaining cases. Patel said that there was no fertilizer shortage to which Congress MLA Jitu Patwari objected and said the minister was not presenting correct facts. Just a day back, government had replied that state government received half the quantity of fertilisers against the demand.

Agitated Congress members staged a walkout after that.

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