Farmers Movement Archive

TRS to vote against farm Bills in RS

With seven members, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) has decided to vote against the farm Bills when they came up before the Rajya Sabha on Sunday. TRS president and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has asked the party MPs of the Upper House to stoutly oppose the three Bills and vote against them as they were a severe detriment to farming community. The legislations will cause heavy loss to agriculture sector. He told the TRS leader in Rajya Sabha K. Keshava Rao that the Centre aimed to benefit corporate houses at the cost of farmers by enacting the laws. “On the face of it, the Centre provided in the Bills that the farmers can sell their produce anywhere. But, the government paved the way for corporates to go anywhere to buy the produce. The corporate sharks can spread their wings throughout the country. Thus, the doors will open to private trade,” a release quoting Mr. Rao said. Wondering the logic behind the claim that the produce can be sold anywhere, Mr. Rao asked if the farmers were in any position to shift their small quantities of stocks at high transportation costs by lorries to far off places. The Bills were like honey coated knives in the hands of the Centre. For instance, Mr. Rao said there was an import duty of 50% on maize. Reducing the duty to 15%, the Centre decided to import one crore tonnes of maize. Already, about 75 lakh tonnes of maize was procured. The 35% reduction in duty was aimed for whose benefit? he asked. Mr. Rao also wondered how the Centre took such a decision when the country was in a financial crisis. The country was already rich in maize cultivation. What will be the fate of farmers of the country if the Centre went ahead with maize procurement at reduced duty? The government paved the way for corporates to go anywhere to buy the produce. Thus, the doors will open to private trade. K Chandrasekhar Rao, Telangana Chief Minister

The Hindu

2020-09-20

HYDERABAD