Farmers Movement Archive

Bihar CM backs farm laws, says MSP will not be abolished

PATNA: Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday supported the new farm laws enacted by the Centre, saying the move was not aimed at abolishing minimum support price (MSP). He said farmers in few states who have doubts about the new farm laws will soon get convinced following mutual discussions. “Talks are going on and the farmers are being told that MSP will never be abolished. The new farm laws will allow farmers to sell their produce wherever they want. It is in the interest of the farmers,” Nitish told reporters on the sidelines of an official programme here. The CM said confusion over the farm laws is being removed through talks. “If there are some doubts in some states about deviation from the old practices, we are hopeful that everyone will be convinced through talks at some point of time. I am fully assured that the new laws are not against anyone,” he said. He added the new farm laws are not an issue in Bihar. “We had abolished Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act in 2006 and made farmers independent. The procurement, thereafter, is for everyone to see. This year also, the progress of procurement is quite good. We have always worked in the interest of the farmers and ensured that no one faces any problem,” Nitish said. He added, “However, if farmers in states like Punjab and Haryana have some apprehensions about changes in the old practices, the Centre is willing to explain everything to them. Hence, we are hopeful that all such doubts will be gradually cleared and protesting farmers will be convinced.” The NDA government in Bihar had abolished the APMC Act in 2006 with an aim to weed out middlemen or the Bazar Samitis in procurement to ensure that farmers fetch genuine revenue for their yields. Later, the Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS) was introduced for procurement of paddy at MSP. As per the data of cooperative department, around 27 lakh metric tonne of paddy produced in last kharif (monsoon) season had been procured from 3,70,949 farmers through PACS in all 38 districts till date. However, some farmer associations in Bihar are not convinced with the abolition of APMC. “Farmers in Bihar are forced to sell their produce at much lower prices than the MSP despite abolition of APMC. For instance, most farmers sold maize at Rs 900- Rs 1,000 per quintal in October-November last year, even though the MSP for the same was around Rs 1,750 per quintal. Similarly, farmers are forced to sell paddy at Rs 1,100-1,300 in the open market as the PACS in most areas are either not procuring or are slow,” said Ashok Kumar Singh, general secretary of Bihar Rajya Kisan Sabha. He added the farmers are forced to do resort to distress sell to ensure that their yield is not damaged and they are able to pay their financial dues on time. “Farmer associations in Bihar are also against the three new farm laws and they want restoration of APMC Act,” Singh said.

The Times of India

2021-02-09

Patna