New Delhi: The Punjab government on Tuesday passed three amendment bills in the assembly in protest against the three agricultural reform laws brought by the central government. Now, the Rajasthan and the Maharashtra government are also preparing to bring the bill along wiht other non-NDA states which are against these laws.
They can also call the assembly session and bring the amendment bill.
Although the approval of the Governor and the President is also necessary to convert the Bill into law, there is a remote possibility that this move by the state government is supported by the governor and the President. In such a situation, the next step is that the state governments will approach the Supreme Court.
In these circumstances, questions are being raised as to what will be the practical significance of the bill brought by the Punjab Government or any further State Government. Punjab and Haryana are witnessing maximum agitations against agrarian reform laws and support of farmers' organizations in other states of the country is also not in favor of the Modi government's law.
In view of all the circumstances, some experts are considering the passing of the Bill in the Legislative Assembly in protest against these laws by non-NDA governments as merely a gimmick.
ETV Bharat spoke to MJ Khan, Chairman of Indian Chamber of Food and Agriculture on the subject.
MJ Khan said that amendment bills passed in the assembly are currently proposed but no state government can repeal the law made by the Center. Eventually, the bills of the state government will come to the center's court and after the approval of the center, the state governments will move the court.
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The issue has now shifted from the farmers' movement to political profit and loss, and in such a situation, the opposition parties will want this movement to go on for a long time so that it can spread a feeling of being anti-farmer against the central government. The central government will not have much effect in the Congress and its coalition government states, but if such proposals are also coming from other states by the other states, then the central government will have to think about it.
The demand of the farmers is still stuck on two points, the first to make the MSP a legal provision and the second the punishment for the purchase less than the MSP. In Punjab and Haryana, 98% of the wheat and paddy crops are being purchased by the government on MSP itself and the Bill related to MSP passed in Punjab Legislative Assembly by the Amarinder government says that if a trader farmers buy wheat or paddy at a lower rate than MSP they can be sentenced to three years in prison if he is forced to.
In such a situation, the question arises that when almost the entire crop is already being purchased on MSP, then what was the need for this law for wheat and paddy only?
MJ Khan says that the Punjab government wants to assure the farmers that it stands firmly with the farmers. The second objective is that if private companies come, they too will be forced to purchase on MSP. Farmers are also making the same demand. It is believed that after the laws brought by the central government, the private sector will reach the farmers on a large scale and will also purchase their crops.
It is generally seen that the trader buys an average price of Rs 500 per quintal from the farmer. As an example, complaints are coming from many places that paddy is being purchased in the mandis at Rs 1100 to 1200 per quintal, which is less than Rs 500 from the fixed MSP.
The common concept among the farmers is that when the traders are already buying at a lower price, then the same situation will remain even when the private companies will come on the market on a large scale. In such a situation, companies will have silver but farmers will have to suffer losses. After the legal provision of MSP, the farmers will be protected that no one will be able to purchase from them at a lower price.
But will private companies show interest in reaching the farmers even though the legal obligation is imposed instead of the competitive market? The basic objective of the laws brought by the central government is to encourage private investment in agriculture. In such a situation, will the private sector think it is right to keep away from agriculture due to opposition from the state governments?
On this question, experts say that the government and the farmers can find a way out if they want. If the MSP is brought down a bit and there is a law for procurement at that rate, in that case the private company will also get the benefit and 100 percent purchase from the farmers can also be ensured.
A case was reported from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh, of which a video also went viral on social media. In the video, the DM himself had caught the trader purchasing the paddy at Rs 1150 per quintal, but no action could be taken against him. In declaring MSP, with the consent of farmers and traders, such price should be fixed where the benefit of both the buyer and the farmers is taken into consideration and after that legal provision is made. In that situation, the purchase of 100% from the farmers at the fixed price will be ensured. It will go which will benefit all the farmers equally, and the traders will also get some profit opportunity.
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Can pressure be put on the central government by the state governments by bringing such a bill or are the opposition parties trying this trick for a surf political message?
To this, MJ Khan said that as long as the farmers are in front of the protest and agitation, it can be a matter of concern for the center because the central government will not want to create an anti-farmer image in any way. But if there is excessive politics on it, the government will not come under pressure.
Overall, the bills brought by the Punjab government, which can also be brought forward by states like Rajasthan, Maharashtra and West Bengal want to convince the farmers that the non-NDA governments in the major states are standing with the farmers whereas BJP and NDA are anti-farmer.
