Farmers Movement Archive

Cong MPs ‘dissociate’ from Parl panel report

In an unusual move, three Congress MPs have written to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to “dissociate” themselves from a standing committee’s report that asked the Centre to “implement the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 in letter and spirit”. The three MPs, members of the House panel on food, consumer affairs and public distribution, also alleged that the report was approved in the panel chairman’s absence.Saptagiri Ulaka from Odisha’s Koraput, V Vaithilingam of Puducherry and Kasargod’s Rajmohan Unnithan have written to the Speaker against the Eleventh report of the House panel on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution. The report, titled “Price Rise of Essential Commodities – Causes and Effects”, was adopted on March 18 and presented in Parliament the following day. The panel is headed by Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay. The Congress MPs “completely dissociated” from the panel’s recommendation” to implement the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 in letter and spirit…” The amendments to the ESA are one of the three laws being opposed by many farm unions, the Congress and other opposition parties. The report recommended that “the Government implement the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 in letter and spirit, and without let or hindrances so that the farmers and other stakeholders of farming sector in this country receive the benefits intended under the said Act.”The dissenting MPs maintained that their position “in line with the stand expressed by the Congress Party, where it opposed tooth and nail the implementation of the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020, as it impinges on federalism, encourages hoarding and black-marketing, and therefore demand its immediate repeal.” Ulaka said he earlier expr-essed his opposition in a meeting in December. Bandopadhyay said the “Trinamool is also opposed to the farm laws” and said the panel suggested that “foodstuffs such as potato, onions and pulses are part of a common man’s daily diet and that lakhs of people who do not get the benefits of Public Distribution System may suffer adversely in the aftermath of the implementation of the new Act..”Senior Congress strategist Jairam Ramesh quoted Ulaka’s letter and said, “MPs of the Congress party did not ask for implementation of the ESA. The Standing Committee Report is a misrepresentation!” TMC floor leader in the Rajya Sabha Derek O’Brien targeted the BJP for the adoption of the report and tweeted: “This is the BJP cheap ‘n dirty tricks department in action. Con job was done when Chairman of #Parliament Committee was not at meeting. @aitc position on #FarmLaws and Essential Commodities Act well documented. Withdraw draconian laws #FarmersProtest.”The Congress MPs also raised an objection that the report was adopted under “acting chairperson” Ajay “Teni” Misra, a BJP MP from UP. “...I was not present when the Report was adopted as the meeting was called in a short notice of merely 15 hours, on the adoption of a report on the very important subject of ‘Price Rise of Essential Commodities’,” read Ulaka’s letter posted on Twitter. Rejecting the charges, Bandopadhyay said: “There is nothing called as an acting chairperson. The final meeting went for two days—March 17 and 18. One the first day, NC leader Farooq Abdullah chaired the meeting... the report has been adopted properly and all rules have been adhered to.”

Hindustan Times

21-03-2021

India