Bhopal: Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said that the Congress government had made APMC Act in favour of farmers.
"But now, any big trader can open a Mandi & under these new anti-farmer Bills, any dispute at Mandi will be handled by officials. All these anti-farmer 4 ordinances should be seen in totality," he said.
The UPA government had in 2004 started persuading states to adopt the Model APMC Act, 2003, and formulated the model APMC rules in 2007.
In 2013, a committee it set up recommended the Agricultural Produce Inter-State Trade and Commerce (Development & Regulation), Bill, for barrier-free markets. The law ministry prepared a draft bill that, however, was not pursued.
Farmers in Punjab and Haryana have been protesting against three ordinances promulgated by the Centre on June 5. After the Monsoon Session of Parliament began this week, the government has introduced three Bills to replace these ordinances. Lok Sabha passed these bills this week.
ALSO READ: President accepts Harsimrat Kaur Badal's resignation
