Cong misleading farmers for political gains, alleges BJP MP

The Lok Sabha member also said farmers will not forgive the Congress for "misleading" them over the bills. The Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 were on Sunday passed by the Rajya Sabha amid protests by opposition members.


PTI | Ahmedabad | Updated: 21-09-2020 14:01 IST | Created: 21-09-2020 14:01 IST
Cong misleading farmers for political gains, alleges BJP MP
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Gujarat BJP president C R Paatil on Monday said the farm sector reform bills are in favour of farmers, and accused the Congress of misleading cultivators over the issue for its own political gains. The Lok Sabha member also said farmers will not forgive the Congress for "misleading" them over the bills.

The Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 were on Sunday passed by the Rajya Sabha amid protests by opposition members. The bills were passed by the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

"The farm bills are in favour of farmers, but the opposition parties are misleading them by saying they will be against their interest. The Congress, which never thought about the benefit of farmers, is misleading them over the bills," Paatil said talking to reporters via video conference. But, farmers today are intelligent, highly educated, and understand very well what is in their favour and what is against them, he said.

Asserting that the Narendra Modi government has not taken any decision against the interest of farmers, Paatil accused the previous Congress-led UPA government of doing nothing to implement the Swaminathan Commission recommendations for the benefit of cultivators. "Farmers will never forgive the Congress for misleading them over the bills. I would request farmers not to pay heed to the misinformation being spread by parties for their own political gains," he said.

All the bills are for the benefit of farmers, there is nothing in the bills that will harm farmers, he said. Paatil said the Congress's claim that farmers will not get MSP (minimum support price) for their produce is "wrong".

"Modiji has said the MSP scheme will continue. Farmers will get more price due to competition, and will be able to go to the markets where they will get more money. Farmers get the freedom to sell their produce wherever they want," he said. The two key farm reforms passed by both Houses of Parliament and another bill, which is to be moved separately, have triggered protests by farmers in states like Punjab and Haryana.

The Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, seeks to provide freedom to farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country. The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 seeks to give farmers the right to enter into a contract with agribusiness firms, processors, wholesalers, exporters, or large retailers for the sale of future farming produce at a pre-agreed price.

The third bill -- the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020, -- seeks to remove commodities like cereals, pulses, oilseeds, onion, and potatoes from the list of essential commodities and will do away with the imposition of stock holding limits..

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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