TAD News Desk, New Delhi: The center government asserted vehemently that these new farm laws are better suited for the farmers and it is ready to talk to the farmers and clear their doubts about the legislation, this came when another farmer’s protest was announced in the month-end. Union Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Narendra Singh Tomar and, Union food minister Piyush Goyal, asserted that these laws would help farmers in selling their agricultural produce at better rates, and states like ‘Punjab’ are misleading the farmers.
Protests from the states of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and, Punjab – all of them Congress ruled – has been ongoing since the introduction of these three controversial farm laws in September. These states have also introduced their own farm laws negating the central one.
Union minister Mr. Tomar while speaking to reporters said,
“If they (Opposition) wear farmers’ glasses and see the laws, they will be able to see the benefits for farmers. If they see from the political prism, they cannot see the benefits.”
He further said that the MSPs for the notified crops would be available and the procurement centers would function.
He attacked the opposition for, “spreading misinformation and lies” and added that the data of Paddy crops procurement in Punjab state shows the government’s commitment to buy the agricultural products at MSP.
Mr. Tomar told that 169 lakh tone of paddy has been procured since November 6 of this year’s Kharif season as compared to the 81 lakh tonne in 2013-14 year in the same time period, in Punjab state alone.
Piyush Goyal seemed confident that these protests are centered in Punjab and they will wither away soon, as the protests didn’t receive attention in the neighboring state Haryana.
With the statement, “Procurement centres are fully operational even now. In fact, we have increased them substantially this year. So, there is no question of the Centre scrapping MSP procurement…” he urged the Opposition to stop misleading farmers.
Goyal compared the paddy procurement from 318 lakh tonnes in 2013-14 throughout the nation to 745 lakh tones in 2020-21 across the country. He spoke about how much a sharp rise in the procurement, it has been. He further cleared the air on the restoration of goods train services in Punjab. It will be possible only if the farmers clear the railway track and law and order situation is ensured by the state government.
The commencement of paddy procurement was from October 1, whereas in Punjab it started on September 26.
Bhartiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal) organized road blockade protests on November 5, and another organization AIKSCC has called for protests in Delhi on November 26-27.
Source: The Economic Times
