Farmers Movement Archive

Reliance moves Punjab and Haryana HC: ‘No contract farming plans’

CHANDIGARH: At the receiving end of the ire of farmers protesting against the Centre’s three new agriculture laws, corporate giant Reliance Industries Ltd has claimed before the Punjab and Haryana high court that the company has absolutely no plans, now or in the future, to enter into corporate or contract farming. The company has even claimed that it has not purchased any land to run any business to benefit from the farm laws and their business is completely in favour of "farmers’ interest". It also blamed "vested interests" behind vandalisation of the firm's telecom towers in Punjab. "The Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited and its parent company, including its retail arm Reliance Retail Limited (RRL) have not purchased any agricultural land, directly or indirectly, anywhere in India for the purpose of corporate or contract farming and have absolutely no plans, now or in the future to do so. The business practices of petitioner, including its affiliates are completely in favour of and in furtherance of the farmers’ interest," Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd has stated in a petition filed on Monday before the high court. These assertions have been made by the Mukesh Ambani owned corporate giant in its plea filed before the HC against the recent attacks on its telecom towers and other business stores in Punjab. It has also argued that its subscribers are being forced to port to other networks by the miscreants and vested interests. According to the petitioner company, the attack by miscreants on their around 1,500 towers and some employees engaged in telecom work has affected their 1.4 crore customers in the state. The plea, which is expected to come up for hearing on Tuesday, said, “The petitioner and its affiliates share the aspiration of Indian farmers to get a fair and profitable price for what they produce with exemplary hard work and dedication and seek an augmentation of their incomes, and pledge to work towards this goal... Indeed, the petitioner, its parent entity, and its affiliates shall insist that their suppliers strictly abide by the minimum support price (MSP) mechanism, and or any other mechanism for remunerative price for farm produce, as may be determined and implemented by the government." The company has sought directions to the Centre as well Punjab to identify the vested interests and miscreants and probe their well-orchestrated and sustained disinformation campaign being carried out against the petitioner company and take action including providing prosecution. According to the company, on account of the sustained disinformation campaign run by the vested interests, including through social media channels, the petitioner’s business and its assets have become a target of attack and destruction by miscreants purporting to be engaged in public demonstrations and protests against the farm legislations, the company has stated in its plea.

The Times of India

2021-01-05

Chandigarh