Updated: September 24, 2020 7:17:13 am
JD (U) general secretary KC Tyagi
With polls looming in Bihar, the JD (U) appears to have taken a calibrated approach to controversy farm bills. The BJP’s main NDA ally in the state on Wednesday welcomed the bills ‘approval in Parliament, but said he supports the demand by various farmers’ organizations for a law that would make payment below the MSP is a punishable offense.
Speaking to The Indian Express, former Rajya Sabha MP and JD (U) Senior General Secretary KC Tyagi said: “We welcome the passage of both bills in Parliament. Our party supported these bills. But we also support the demand of farmers’ organizations to make a law that says that no one can buy from farmers at prices lower than those of the MSP. Any violation must be punished as a crime. “
When asked if the JD (U), under Prime Minister Nitish Kumar, had made this demand formally, Tyagi said: “The prime minister has assured that the MSP will continue.” On why the MSP is not mentioned in the new law, Tyagi said: “The prime minister has assured it in Parliament. Your violation may amount to contempt. “
Tyagi, who is also the party’s national spokesman, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made it clear that purchasing under the PDS would continue as usual. “The Banka district in Bihar would start buying rice from MSP,” he said.
Emphasizing that the interests of farmers have been “paramount” for JD (U), Tyagi said that Bihar had repealed the APMC Law in 2006 because “too much middleman intervention” was hurting the interests of farmers.
The JD (U) leader also expressed concern about the sugar mills that do not receive quotas of up to 12 billion rupees from the central government. “There should be a mechanism to guarantee payment with specified terms. That there is a law that ensures payment in 15 days and any delay must mean payment with interest, “he said.
READ | Committed to MSP but was never part of the law: Minister of Agriculture
He was asked about the rampage in Rajya Sabha that led to eight opposition deputies suspended, Tyagi said: “The vice president of RS (Harivansh) has followed the rule book that says he can vote or pass a bill without voting. Also, the NDA has a clear majority in Rajya Sabha. “
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