I would also like to inform the house that of the total crop of groundnuts, exports are to the extent of 2 to 5 percent. There is not so much of surplus as it is somehow or other felt here. So, whatever the export policy of the government, it reflects on the price structure. That very small percentage of export has a bearing on the price structure of groundnut. Because there is a very small percentage of surplus, if a little more is exported, the price goes up, and if a little less is exported, there is always a tendency for the price to fall. I heard an hon. Member say that the policy should be such that the growers must know befored what it is. This year, if I may just illustrate, in the beginning the prices were much higher than what they are today. The prices have dropped, even though export was allowed because the export duty was put in. Last year, the prices were much lower in the beginning of the season and then they went up. It is a difficult thing and I can appreciate the difficulty of the hon, the commerce and industry minister with regard to what the export policy should be: it is also difficult for him to follow exactly the effect the export policy will have on the internal price structure in the next year. It is very well to say after the event that if the policy had been of this nature, it would have been better for the price structure. I do agree that it would be better for every interest concerned if the policy can be of a long range so that everybody knows what the position would be. I would like to take the house into the hisotyr of these provisions as they were discused in the constitutent assembly. Even at the time when the present article 369 was being considered by the constituent assembly, there was a body of opinion which felt that limiting the parliamentary jurisdiction in respect of commodities like food grains and other agricultural products for a period of five years was taking a short view of the question. The basic of the decision of the drafting committee could be understood from para 14 of the letter written by the chairman of the drafting committee to the president of the constituent assembly.
