Uttam says farm Bills meant to help corporates

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president and MP N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the farmers' Bills passed by the NDA government in Parliament would only benefit corporates like the Adanis and the Ambanis and not farmers.

Addressing a press conference, along with TPCC working president and MP A. Revanth Reddy in the Parliament premises on Monday, he strongly condemned the centre for “selling” the interests farmers to help a few corporates.

He announced that the Congress, in collaboration with farmers' organisations, would organise agitation across Telangana state on September 25 against the anti-farmer policies of the Modi government. Protests would be held at all district headquarters and Assembly constituencies.

Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that the anti-farmer laws would sound the death knell of procurement under minimum support price (MSP) and market yard purchase systems.

The Bills were passed without taking into consideration the objections raised by the Congress and other Opposition parties and in an undemocratic manner.

Rules were flouted and precedents were not followed while passing the bills in the Rajya Sabha, the TPCC chief said.

The MP said that the bills had snatched away the protection granted to the farming community by the Constitution. Private institutions have been given licence to exploit farmers.

He said there was no mention of the MSP to the farmers in the bills, and no provision has been made to regulate contract farming. The new bills had finished the system of market yards where farmers sell their produce.

Citing an instance, he said the market yards were abolished in Bihar in 2006 and farmers of that state were unable to get MSP for their produce. While farmers of Telangana state and elsewhere were selling paddy for `1,815 per quintal, those in Bihar were forced to sell for just `1,300.

Stating that the new law does not specify that the contract price should be above the MSP, Uttam Kumar Reddy pointed out, “It is clear that the new law doesn’t have empowerment or protection or price assurance for farmers. The amendment to the Essential Commodities Act will promote hoarding of food commodities by corporations. There is absolutely no restriction on farmers or farmer producer organisations (FPOs) from stocking produce and selling it.”

In the name of farmers, the government is completely changing the system in favour of big corporates,” the TPCC chief said.