Title: Urgent need to reconsider the support prices for copra announced by the Union Government and to save the farmers from starvation.
MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: There should be no running commentary. I have called Shri Radhakrishnan. He is raising a very important matter regarding copra.
SHRI VARKALA RADHAKRISHNAN : Sir, the price fixation of Copra by the Central Government has crated a very serious situation in Copra market, not only in Kerala but in the neighbouring States as well. The position is, no transaction is taking place. The entire business is let loose. Thousands of poor coconut farmers are put to starvation. This has been created by the unwise declaration of the Central Government. No business is taking place and the position is very very serious. If the Government has any human feeling, if it wants to prevent starvation death or farmers committing suicides, it should intervene in the matter immediately. Not only the textile farmers will commit suicides but you will also hear that hundreds of coconut farmers have also committed suicides if the Government does not correct its policy. So, I request the Central Government to intervene immediately and a favourable price should be immediately fixed so as to save the farmers from starvation.
Ours is a federal India. Why do we think otherwise in the matter of coconut farmers in South India, when hundreds of coconut farmers are starving? Copra market is closed. Who has created this situation? All this is because the Government has declared a policy which is detrimental to the interests of the coconut growers. I once again request the Government, in the name of humanity at least, to intervene immediately and save the country. Otherwise, the position will continue like this and the Government will be held answerable to this peculiar situation.
The situation is bad not only in Kerala but in other southern States also. I repeat that you should immediately intervene. Otherwise, you will have to face this situation. The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Pramod Mahajan thinks that ours is India. There are hundreds of coconut farmers. You will be putting them to starvation. Nobody will save you and nobody will help you. So, I once again request you to intervene in the matter.
SHRI RAMESH CHENNITHALA (MAVELIKARA): Sir, I am associating myself with Shri Radhakrishnan. The Chair also knows the plight of the coconut growers in our country. I am aware that the hon. Deputy-Speaker is also equally concerned with this matter. He knows that the poor coconut farmers are suffering a lot. The support price which is fixed by the Central Government is not adequate. So, I would request the Central Government to reconsider the support prices which have been announced by the Government urgently.
MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Shri Bangarappa, Shri Shinde, Shri Sudarsana Natchiappan, and all other Members are associating themselves with this matter.
SHRI SOMNATH CHATTERJEE : Sir, on behalf of the hon. Member from Lakshadweep, I am associating myself!
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SHRI G.M. BANATWALLA (PONNANI): Sir, I associate myself with the submissions made about copra.