Raipur, Dec 15 (PTI) The Chhattisgarh Assembly witnessed noisy scenes on Wednesday as the main opposition BJP accused the ruling Congress of snatching the employment of women Self Help Groups (SHGs) engaged in manufacturing and distribution of ready-to-eat nutritional food by transferring the task to state's Seed Corporation.

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The state government said the decision has been taken in view of the directive of the Supreme Court to distribute micronutrient-rich food to women and children.

Demanding immediate discussion on the issue, BJP MLAs trooped into the well of the House and were automatically suspended.

Their suspension was revoked later.

BJP MLAs later boycotted the assembly proceedings.

Raising the issue of SHGs in Zero Hour, BJP legislators, including Leader of Opposition Dharamlal Kaushik, Ajay Chandrakar and Shivratan Sharma, moved an adjournment motion notice and demanded discussion.

To which, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ravindra Choubey said the government is ready for immediate discussion.

Subsequently, Deputy Speaker Manoj Mandavi read out the adjournment motion notice.

When BJP was in power in Chhattisgarh, around 20,000 women of 1,600 SHGs were allotted work to prepare ready-to-eat nutritional food (distributed to women and children under the anti-malnutrition programme) to make them economically empowered.

These SHGs have been providing the ready-to-eat products to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore per year but the incumbent Congress government is trying to snatch their jobs, BJP MLAs alleged.

The government has transferred the work to the Seed Corporation to ensure benefit to the tune of crores of rupees to a private firm that is in contract with the corporation, they said, claiming corruption in the decision.

The state government has been violating the directive of the Supreme Court which has clearly stated that nutritional food should be given in Anganwadi centres through local SHGs, the MLAs added.

Countering the Opposition, Women and Child Development Minister Anila Bhedia said her department has been paying Rs 425 crore per year to around 1,600 SHGs in which around 16,000 women are associated with for manufacturing and distribution of readymade food.

Indeed, the state government has now decided to carry out this work through the Chhattisgarh State Seed Corporation. The women SHGs on contract for the task will be associated with the corporation for the distribution work. So the question of snatching employment does not arise here, she said.

Bhedia ruled out corruption in assigning the task to the corporation and said the Chhattisgarh government is committed to women empowerment.

Under the 'Poshan Ahar' scheme, around 18,000 women SHGs are engaged in providing snacks and hot food in anganwadi centres across the state since 2009 and this work will be continued, she said.

As per the directive of the Supreme Court, the ready-to-eat food provided to beneficiaries under supplementary nutritional food programmes should be rich in micronutrients, vitamin A, B12, C and D fortified and finely mixed. Along with this, the food should be manufactured from automatic machines to avoid human touch (to food materials) and make it infection-free, she said.

Subsequently, the Deputy Speaker fixed the time for discussion on the issue at 3 pm after taking up other listed businesses of the day.

Objecting to it, BJP legislators sought immediate discussion over it. Shouting slogans against the government, they trooped into the well of the House and were automatically suspended. The suspension was revoked later.

Amid pandemonium, the Speaker adjourned the house for 10 minutes.

After the Assembly reconvened, BJP members continued with the demand and said the parliamentary affairs minister was ready for the immediate discussion, therefore the issue of SHGs should be discussed stalling the other business.

When Speaker Charan Das Mahant continued with the listed business of the day, BJP members staged a walkout and boycotted the remaining proceedings.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)