Amarinder seeks apology from Danve for 'misleading' statement on farm ordinances

Singh said the minister should apologise immediately and unequivocally for presenting "false facts" in the Lok Sabha. The chief minister said his government has consistently and persistently opposed any move to dilute the rights and interests of the farmers, not only in the high-powered committee on agricultural reforms but in the state assembly and on all public forums.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday demanded an apology from Union minister Raosaheb Patil Danve for allegedly misleading the nation from Parliament by saying that Punjab was on board the Centre's farm ordinances. Singh said Danve's statement in the Lok Sabha on Monday was "totally incorrect" and claimed that it was aimed at defaming the Congress government in the state.

On the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament on Monday, the Union minister of state for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution had said that a high-powered committee on agriculture had decided on the ordinances after due consideration by all member states. Rejecting the statement, Singh said at no point did the high-powered committee make any suggestion about bringing these ordinances, which the Centre introduced amid the pandemic and has now placed in Parliament for enactment. The Bills introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday are the Farmers' Produce Trade And Commerce (Promotion And Facilitation) Bill; Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill.

The chief minister said the Union minister's remark was a "clear and complete breach" of Parliamentary principles and propriety. Singh said the minister should apologise immediately and unequivocally for presenting "false facts" in the Lok Sabha.

The chief minister said his government has consistently and persistently opposed any move to dilute the rights and interests of the farmers, not only in the high-powered committee on agricultural reforms but in the state assembly and on all public forums. The report of the high-powered committee nowhere suggested any ordinance or central law to be enacted by the government of India, he added. In fact, the focus of the report was largely on market reforms wherein the implementation of APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee) Act had been emphasised, Singh said.

In its response to the draft report, the Punjab government had clearly stated that 86 per cent of the state's farmers are smallholders cultivating less than two hectares with little bargaining power in the market, an official statement said. Pointing out that some states like Punjab are dependent on the market fee, his government had further underlined that “the market needs to be monitored and regulated to save the farmers from exploitative private trade", it said. The farmers must receive reasonable prices for their produce (MSP) which covers their cost of production and a fair level of profit for their living, the statement added.