New Delhi: Amid fierce opposition by NDA's ally Shiromani Akali Dal and the opposition parties along with strong protests by farmer's groups in Punjab and Haryana the three Agri Sector Bills brought by the Modi Government will be tabled in Rajya Sabha on Sunday.
Bhartiya Krishak Samaj supports Farm Bills but demands few amendments Most of the Farmer Unions from across the country are opposing the bills, demanding necessary amendments amid several concerns. Some unions are even demanding a complete rollback. However, Farmer Leader and President of Bhartiya Krishak Samaj, Krishna Vir Chaudhary has supported the Bills but he too pointed out some issues and appealed to the Prime Minister for amendments.
Speaking exclusively with ETV Bharat, Krishna Vir Chaudhary said that these bills will certainly end the monopoly of APMCs and open market for the farmers.
"In the current arrangement, the farmer had to take their produce to Mandi where licensed traders would buy them at the MSP, then the produce were procured by FCI. The purpose of opening the market is very clear, farmers were being exploited by the traders at Mandi but now they will be freed" said Chaudhary.
"Now the middlemen will no more be able to exploit farmers by lobbying at APMCs and fixing their own price. Farmers will have this right to sell their produce at their choice. Buyers can contact the farmers directly and pick their produce from their house or field. Farmers can also take their produce to other districts or state and sell it at better price" he added.
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Government has been assuring that opening the market and entry of private players does not mean farmers will be exploited or their rights will be minimised. PM Modi himself addressed the farmers through a video-conferencing citing that the MSP arrangement will not be taken back, neither will be the old APMCs closed. The Mandis will continue to function in the states like before and Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill 2020 aims to open new avenues for the farmers in the form of the open market system.
Suggesting an amendment to this act, Krishna Vir Chaudhary said that the government needs to make some arrangement of fixing reserve price for the produce like it is done in some developed countries.
"The Prime Minister has been assuring us that MSP will be there but I request him that markets should not be left uncontrolled. MSP should be considered as Compulsory Reserve Price and Penalty or Punishment clause should be added to it in the Act. More than 85 per cent of farmers in India who have small land holdings will not get exploited if the government makes the provision of the reserve price. This is the need of this hour to protect poor farmers" he said.
"Farmers are protesting against these bills as they are in doubt and under the fear that these big companies will take over them and start controlling. Farmers do not have this capacity to stock their produce and wait for a better price. Most of the farmers just keep enough to feed their families and rest they sell in Mandis immediately after the harvest. So government must make this arrangement that they get a fair deal" He added.
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Similarly, farmers have doubts about Farmer's Empowerment and Protection Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill 2020 which according to the government aims at bringing private investment to the agriculture sector and increase the income of farmers. Farmers can sign a contract with private players and fix a price for their produce even before the harvest of the crop.
Bhartiya Krishak Samaj has no issue with private players entering into the sector and going ahead with the agreements with the farmers but grievance redressal clause is the point where it demands a different arrangement.
"Government has mentioned in the bill that signing an agreement with the private company will not at all affect farmer's ownership over the land. It will be on farmer's will whether he wants to deal with a private company or not. But the issue here is in grievance redressal clause where farmers will have to go to DMs or SDMs in case of any dispute. I have generally observed that these DMs and SDMs hardly give time and listen to farmers, even a Patwari level staff is hard to get for farmers at the local level and he also exploits the farmers. My suggestion is that state governments should form Dispute Settlement Authority at District and State levels which would consist of at least four farmer representatives, two from private companies and one representative should be from the government. The chairman of the Authority should be a farmer. In case of any dispute in the contract system, farmers can approach these Dispute Settlement Authority where he will get proper representation" said Chaudhary.
Extending his support to the Agri Bills 2020, the farmer leader has requested the Prime Minister to make the suggested amendments to these bills.
Meanwhile, the Modi government is making all the efforts gathering enough support in favour of the Bills so that it gets a smooth passage in the upper house as well.
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