Farmers Movement Archive

Legalize MSP for farm products, demands Tejashwi Yadav

PATNA: Leader of opposition in the state assembly, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, on Wednesday asked chief minister Nitish Kumar why Bihar’s farmers have minimum family income across the country. Talking about the ongoing farmers’ protest near Delhi and the three new agriculture-related laws, Tejashwi demanded minimum support price (MSP) to be legalized. “These are the black laws and have been enacted to privatize the agriculture sector. Nowhere MSP has been mentioned in the new laws,” Tejashwi told reporters, saying they had no faith in the Centre’s assurance and wanted MSP to be legalized. “We have seen the results of GST and demonetisation. We want nothing less than legalization of MSP. We will continue our support to farmers until their demands are fulfilled,” he said. The RJD leader said farmers in Bihar had the lowest family income of nearly Rs3500 per month. “Farmers even in neighbouring Jharkhand earn more than in our state. By abolishing APMCs, Nitish has worsened the condition of farmers, who have been compelled to migrate and work as labourers. Now they (government) are planning to turn farmers into beggars,” he alleged. Tejashwi urged the farmers and their unions in Bihar to protest against the new laws. He hit out at PM Narendra Modi and CM Nitish for not speaking about those farmers who died during protest. “They have time to congratulate celebrities, but have not uttered a word over the death of at least 18 farmers. Several BJP leaders are also calling the agitating farmers as Khalistanis and what not just to impress their bosses,” he said. Tejashwi also alleged lacunae in agricultural produce procurement process in Bihar and said the government could not even achieve the target it had set and middlemen were harassing farmers. “This double-engine government is anti-farmers. In fact they are also anti-labourers, anti-youths and anti-teachers,” he said. The RJD leader said his party workers will distribute pamphlets across the villages mentioning the drawbacks in the new farm laws. RJD also organized a seminar at the district headquarters on Wednesday on the problems with the new laws as a tribute to former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh on his birth anniversary. Reacting to Tejashwi’s remarks, JD(U) state spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad called him a political tourist. Prasad said farmers in Bihar will not get influenced by Tejashwi’s baseless claims and a lot many developments have taken place on the agriculture front in the state in the past 15 years. “Three-phase agriculture road map, dedicated feeder for agriculture and irrigation water to each farmland will boost this sector in Bihar,” he said.

The Times of India

2020-12-24

Patna