CHANDIGARH: Saying that you are not afraid of the removal of your government, Prime Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday he moved three bills in the Punjab Assembly to counter the Center agricultural laws, which have sparked protests by farmers and opposition parties in different parts of the country, including Punjab.
“I am not afraid to resign. I am not afraid that my government will be removed. But I will not let the farmers suffer or be ruined,” said the Punjab CM when introducing these resolutions.
The resolution also rejected the 2020 Electricity (Amendment) Bill proposed by the Center.
Singh called on all parties to rise above their political interests to save Punjab.
Warning the Center not to let the situation get out of control, Amarinder Singh He said: “If farm laws are not repealed, angry young people may take to the streets to join farmers, leading to chaos. The way things are happening, the situation has the potential to disturb the peaceful atmosphere. in the state”.
He said this is what happened in the 1980s and 1990s when Sikh militancy had taken over the Punjab.
“Both China and Pakistan will collude and try to take advantage of any disruption in the state’s peace, which will pose a serious threat to national security,” he added.
The resolution expressed the “deep regret” of the state assembly for the “callous and inconsiderate attitude of the Government of India in addressing the concerns of the agricultural community about the recent agricultural legislation enacted by them.”
“The assembly is obliged to unanimously reject the three laws and the Electricity (Amendment) Bill of 2020,” the resolution stated, which was read by the Spokesperson.
The three bills introduced by Singh to counter the laws of the Center are: the Special Provisions of Trade in Agricultural Products and Trade (Promotion and Facilitation) and the Punjab Amendment Bill 2020, the Essential Products Bill ( Special Provisions and Punjab Amendment) of 2020, and the Farmers Bill (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Guarantee and Agricultural Services (Special Provisions and Punjab Amendment) Bill 2020.
The prime minister said these bills would form the basis of the looming state legal battle.
The Center has been saying that the three farm laws will increase farmers’ incomes, free them from the clutches of middlemen, and usher in new technology in agriculture.
However, the opposition and some farmers’ organizations have been agitating against the laws claiming that they will destroy the minimum price support mechanism, do away with the Farmers Market Committees and allow companies to bend farmers over.
(With inputs from agencies)
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