Farmers Movement Archive

CM Amarinder Singh’s opposition to farm ordinance farcical: Sukhbir Singh Badal

CHANDIGARH: SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said on Tuesday that Congress government in Punjab had already included provisions of the Farming Produce Trade and Commerce Ordinance, 2020, in the state Agriculture Produce Markets Committee (APMC) Act by amending it in 2017. Sukhbir said chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh should not indulge in “farcical opposition” to the Farming Produce Trade and Commerce Ordinance 2020. He asked Amarinder to clarify why Congress had amended the APMC Act to allow creation of private markets, direct marketing, electronic agricultural marketing and single unified licence for the state in 2017. “Congress government was party to the passing of the Farming Produce Trade and Commerce Ordinance 2020 as it not only participated in the consultative process but also gave feedback to the Centre that it had already amended the state APMC Act to enable implementation of the proposed ordinance,” he asserted. The SAD president said the Punjab chief minister should explain under which logic he was demanding withdrawal of the ordinance when he had paved the way for making it a reality by amending the APMC Act and notified the same on August 14, 2017. Instead, Sukhbir said the chief minister should not try to divert attention and should roll back the steep increase in value added tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel if he was really worried about the welfare of farmers and the common man. Petrol and diesel prices had been increased by Rs 2 on May 6. Punjab government had effected an increase of Rs 1.20 per liter on petrol and 0.53 paisa in diesel on June 15, said Sukhbir.

The Times of India

2020-06-17

Chandigarh