December 5, 2020 4:25:58 am
Farmers at the Singhu border in New Delhi on Friday. (Express photo by Praveen Khanna)
Having announced its intention to address key farmers’ concerns such as leveling the playing field between APMC mandis and private markets, registering traders, and allowing farmers to turn to civil courts for dispute resolution, the Friday the central government discussed internally options on how to incorporate these changes.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar met with senior officials in Krishi Bhawan and reviewed the 10-page note mailed by farmers’ unions on Thursday morning and the content of the conversations during the seven-week discussion. hours later that day.
Hoping to break the deadlock on Saturday when talks resume, the sources said the government was willing to even give farmers a written guarantee on the continuation of the minimum support price (MSP) and the form of acquisition. for farmers. “A written guarantee on the MSP and the acquisitions is nothing short of translating it into law,” said a source, indicating the distance the government was willing to go to placate farmers.
The government’s conciliatory stance is also influenced by reports on the ground about deep resentment among Punjab farmers. They were told that despite the successful acquisition of rice, farmers believed that the farm laws spelled the end of the APMC regime. It was also pointed out that if former party ally Akali Dal had not channeled such anger, hard-line forces could have hijacked the protests. Top leaders were told that resentment was most pronounced in the Malwa region of Punjab, which borders Haryana and Rajasthan.
Explanation of the farmers’ protest: What are the big concerns, what can the government negotiate?
Former BJP deputy and additional attorney general Satya Pal Jain, who has been representing the Center in farmer-related cases in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, said all issues were on the table. “The government is also considering the arrests of farmers around the MSP. I’m sure things will be sorted out soon, ”Jain said.
In meeting with the 40 representatives of the farmers’ unions on Thursday, the government had identified four key issues related to the new farm laws. These include: a level playing field between APMC (Agricultural Products Market Committee) mandis and private markets; need for proper registration of traders outside APMC mandis; recourse to civil courts for dispute resolution, which is currently handled by officers; and the need to register contract farming.
In addition to these, the unions demanded that the MSP system be integrated into the law itself.
After the meeting, Tomar had said that the government would consider the points identified at the meeting. Officials from the ministries of agriculture, food and law are known to have discussed various options. While some farmer concerns can be addressed through executive orders, others may require amendments to the laws.
For example, to ensure samyata (level playing field) between APMC mandis and private markets, the amendment of Section 6 of the Agricultural Products Trade and Trade (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020 may be required. Similarly, an adjustment in the provisions of the Act will be required to allow disputes to be taken to civil courts. By virtue of the law, article 15 establishes that disputes arising from transactions in alternative markets cannot be heard in ordinary civil courts. Instead, these must be mandatorily referred to conciliation boards and appellate authorities appointed by local subdivisional magistrates and district collectors.
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