Farmers Movement Archive

Maharashtra not to implement farm bills without legal review: Ajit Pawar

PUNE: Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Friday said the recently passed farm bills would not be implemented in Maharashtra without a legal review. “We stand by the farmers and their demands. We will not implement anything that is not in their interest. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) opposes the bill and we will discuss it with Congress and Shiv Sena, the two allies in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government,” he told TOI. Pawar said the state was studying the legalities of the bills. He felt the bills were passed in a “hurry”. He said, “In Maharashtra, many farmers’ associations have hit the streets against the bills. An all-party meeting will be convened in the state to discuss the bills cleared by the Centre.” The NCP veteran said one has to understand why farmers across the country were protesting against the bills. “The current provisions in the legislation will not go down well with farmers and rob them of the minimum price guarantee mechanism,” Pawar said. State Congress chief and revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat said his party would also oppose implementation of the bills. “Politics should be kept aside and the contentious bills should be opposed. Congress has reached out to Shiv Sena and NCP on the issue. Both the parties should join us in opposing the bills,” he said. Describing the bills as “anti-farmer”, Thorat said the Congress would on September 28 submit a letter to the governor opposing the legislation. The Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, were passed by the Upper House through voice vote despite objection from the Opposition. In Maharashtra, several farmers’ associations have been staging protests against the farm bills and their agitation has been supported by the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, Congress, NCP and the All India Kisan Sabha. In Kolhapur, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana’s Raju Shetti has burned a copy of the legislation.

The Times of India

2020-09-26

Pune