A day after farmers rejected the Center’s draft proposal and called for another national shutdown on December 14, Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar delivered a press conference Thursday on farm laws.
Addressing the press meeting, Tomar said that the agricultural laws were approved by the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha after extensive discussion by all political parties.
Also read: The push of the pandemic to the silver economy
The agriculture minister also said that the Modi government wanted to free farmers from the shackles of mandi so that they could sell their products anywhere, to anyone, at their own price, outside the scope of mandi.
Narendra Tomar said the government has continued to wait for suggestions from farmer leaders to address their concerns, but they are stuck on repealing the laws.
“We sent a proposal to the farmers. They wanted those laws to be repealed. We are of the opinion that the government is ready for open-minded discussions about the provisions against which they have an objection. The laws do not affect the CMPAs or the MSP. We try to explain this to the farmers, “added Tomar.
The Minister of Agriculture said the Center is ready to openly consider any provision in the new agricultural laws where farmers have problems, remove all your apprehensions.
“We have been holding talks with the farmers’ unions. The farmers had demanded that the laws be repealed. The government was of the opinion that the provisions that the farmers find problematic, we are ready to discuss them with the farmers. There is no ego problem.” the Union minister.
‘APMC and MSP are not affected’
Tomar said that during the talks, many said that farm laws are invalid as agriculture is a state issue and the Center cannot frame these laws. “We clarify, we have the right to make laws on trade and we explain it to them. APMC and MSP are not affected by that,” he added.
“Farmers’ land is projected to be occupied by industrialists. Contract farming has been going on for a long time in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab, Karnataka, but there has never been such an experience,” Tomar said.
“Still, we have already made a provision in the law that the agreement under these laws will only be between processors and agricultural products. There is no provision for leasing or agreement on farmers’ lands,” added the agriculture minister.
Tomar also said that the whole country has witnessed the Swaminathan Commission report come in 2006, the recommendation on MSP at 1.5 times the cost of production remained pending until the Modi government implemented it.
“The law states that if the farmer and the processor reach an agreement and the type of cultivation is such that some infrastructure must be established on the farmer’s land, then the processor will dismantle its infrastructure thereafter the agreement is concluded,” said the Minister of Agriculture. .
“If the processor does not do so, then the owner of that infrastructure will be the farmer himself. This is provided by law,” added Tomar.
Addressing the press meeting, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said there were some concerns that farmers will be forced to sell their products on the private market. “This is completely wrong, there is absolutely no provision in the law that imposes an element of coercion on any farmer,” Goyal added.
.
