KCR tells MPs to oppose farm Bills
CM says Bills will be big injustice to farmers
● THE CM asked how it was possible for farmers who produce in small quantities to hire lorries to transport their yield to faraway places at high expense to earn profits
● HE SAID the Bills are nothing but sugar-coated pills and asked TRS MPs to oppose them at all costs. He found fault with the Centre’s decision to reduce the import tax from 50 to 15 % while allowing maize import.
TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Saturday asked party MPs to vote against the farm Bills in the Rajya Sabha, saying the legislations would cause great injustice to farmers.
The TRS has seven members in the Upper House, including D. Srinivas who is miffed with the party. The Bills are expected to come up for voting in the Rajya Sabha next week.
Talking with TRS Parliamentary Party leader Dr K. Keshava Rao over phone on Saturday, the Chief Minister said the Bills would severely harm the farming community and were meant to benefit the corporates.
The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill were passed by Lok Sabha on Thursday, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill on Tuesday.
The controversial legislations have sparked protests in Punjab and Haryana and has seen Shiromani Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal resign.
“For public consumption, it was stated in the Bills that farmers could sell their produce anywhere in the country. But, in reality, farmers seldom go to faraway places. The traders and corporate companies travel around in the country to buy or sell their goods,” the CM said. “The Bills will throw open the flood gates for corporate companies and private traders to expand their operations across the country.”
The Chief Minister asked: “How is it possible for farmers who produce in small quantities to hire lorries to transport their yield to faraway places at high expense in their attempt to earn profits.” He said the Bills are nothing but sugarcoated pills and asked TRS MPs to oppose them at all costs.
He found fault with the Centre’s decision to reduce the import tax from 50 to 15 per cent while allowing the import of one crore tonnes of maize. “What will happen to our farmers and their produce if the Centre opens doors for imports,” Chandrashekar Rao asked.
Stating that the Centre had procured 70-75 lakh tonnes of maize, he pointed out: “Whom does the Centre want to benefit at a time when the nation is facing an economic slowdown? We have plenty of maize produced in the country.”
The Chief Minister instructed the MPs to oppose and vote against the Bills in the Rajya Sabha since they would cause huge losses to the agriculture sector and were against the interests of farmers in the country.