Farmers Movement Archive

Maximum good for farmers, says PM Modi on agri bills. Ally Nitish Kumar agrees

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reiterated that the system of minimum support price (MSP) and procurement of foodgrains would continue under the latest farm sector reforms that seek to liberalise agricultural markets. NDA alliance partner and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar backed the reforms amid opposition protest.“I want to assure farmers that minimum support price, government procurement of their produce will continue,” said PM Modi.The PM’s assertion followed launching of work on nine national highway (NH) projects in Bihar and the ambitious project to link up villages with optical fibre network to ensure high-speed internet facility through video conferencing from Delhi.Accusing the opposition of misleading the farmers about new agricultural reforms, PM Modi said that some people were creating a hue and cry over it as they saw their interests getting hampered in the Centre’s move to empower the farmers.“Agricultural mandis will not be closed. Instead the new reform would allow farmers to reap maximum benefits by selling their products at whichever market they find the best for their produce,” underlined the PM.Dismissing the opposition’s claim that the farmers’ interest would be compromised in the wake of reforms, PM Modi clarified that ownership of land would not be impacted due to their direct access to big players in the farm sector. Rather, those engaged in contract farming would be accountable for protection of ownership to farmers, arrange modern technological intervention and cater to other needs of the farmers, he said. The opposition parties have been protesting over the new reforms initiated by the passage of two farm sector legislation in Rajya Sabha on Sunday. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in a series of tweets, alleged that the Centre was working under a design to enslave farmers to capitalists.The PM laid the foundation stone of three four-lane bridges, two on Ganga and one on Kosi, and widening of six stretches of the national highway (NH) being executed at the cost of Rs 14,258 crore. As many 45,945 villages of the state will be connected through optical fibre internet service under the project that was launched today.In a string of events earlier this month, the PM had laid foundation stone or inaugurated schemes worth more than Rs 1,700 crore in Bihar ahead of the assembly election. Chief minister Nitish Kumar lauded the PM for introducing the farm sector reforms, saying that he had in 2006 abolished the agriculture produce marketing committee (APMC) Act, which was in no way in favour of the farmers.“People of Bihar are unfazed by the campaign launched by the opposition. Rather, they are happy to see the developments being executed in Bihar under the leadership of PM Modi,” said the CM, adding that people of the state would give a befitting reply to the undignified acts resorted to by the opposition in the Rajya Sabha.

Hindustan Times

21-09-2020

India