Union minister Tomar, NCP chief spar over farm laws
MUMBAI: NCP chief Sharad Pawar hit back at Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Monday over the new farm laws, saying the latter was not putting forth “proper facts” before the people over minimum support price (MSP), which is a prime concern of the farmers. This comes a day after the minister had attacked Pawar for criticising the new farm laws out of “ignorance and misinformation”.
He said that no provisions have been made to guarantee MSP to the farmers for trading with private buyers outside agriculture produce market committee (APMC). He also stressed that it is the duty of the Centre to convince the farmers.
“Tomar ji is not bringing proper facts before the people. He has been assuring that the new laws will not affect the mandis (APMC) but farmers organisations are of the opinion that the provisions under law are favouring competitive companies,” Pawar said in a series of tweets.
“Under the new laws, farmers can sell their produce outside mandis (APMC) but have no MSP guarantee when they sell their produce to private buyers.
This is what the protesting farmers have been saying since the beginning. There is no assurance for fair prices to the farmers from the corporate sector in the long term,” he posted.
The former Union agriculture minister also said that the Centre passed the three farm bills without taking any political party or farmers into confidence. In the original form, the laws doesn’t guarantee fair prices to the farmers against their produce. The reference of MSP came in picture only after farmers started their agitation, he pointed out.
Pawar also said the MSP was increased during his term as the agriculture minister to ensure fair prices to the farmers for their produce. “Till 2013-14, MSP was increased to Rs 1,310 per quintal for rice and Rs 1,400 per quintal for wheat from Rs 550 per quintal for rice and Rs 630 per quintal for wheat in 2003-04. The same year, the country had record production of foodgrain and MSP played important role in it,” the NCP chief said. On Sunday, responding to a critique on the new farm laws that Pawar had posted, Tomar had hoped that the NCP chief “will change his stand” and “explain the benefits of the laws to farmers.”
“Pawar is considered wellversed with the issues and solutions relating to agriculture. He has himself tried hard to bring about the same agriculture reforms earlier,” the agriculture minister had said.
Pawar had posted six tweets in which he said that the new laws will adversely affect the MSP and will also weaken the mandi system. He also raised concern about the amended Essential Commodities Act. “According to the Act, the Govt will intervene for price control only if rates of horticultural produce are increased by 100% and that of non-perishable items increase by 50%. Stock piling limits have been removed on food grain, pulses, onion, potato, oilseeds etc. It may lead to apprehensions that Corporates may purchase commodities at lower rates and stock pile and sell at higher prices to consumers,” he posted on Twitter.