Agriculture Bills anti-farmer: APCC Sake Sailajanath

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee termed agriculture-related bills introduced in Parliament on Friday as anti-farmer and harmful to the interests of the farmers.

APCC president Dr S Sailajanath said in a statement here on Friday that the agriculture would be thrown into deep crisis with the implementation of the new Bills. The Centre had already announced the controversial installation of electric metres to the agriculture pumpsets which would harm the farmers' interests.

So far, the farmers bring their produce to the market yards and sell it at the prices fixed by the government. Now the farmers could sell their produce anywhere which means the traders would buy the produce at the price fixed by the latter.

The second Bill which envisages introduction of agreement between the farmers and the traders even before the second crop was undertaken would result in the traders offering cheap price for the produce.

The third Bill which entrusts the powers on cooperative banks to the Reserve Bank of India would result in more restrictions on the cooperative banks making it difficult to obtain loans from the cooperative banks.

At a time, the farmers are committing suicides for various reasons the new bills would drive them to the quicksand of debts which might result in more suicides. He demanded withdrawal of the Bills in the larger interests of people.

He lambasted the Telugu Desam Party and the YSR Congress for extending support to the Bills which were anti-farmer. They have already supported the BJP in the introduction of CAA and in the election of deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha. In fact, there is no difference between these three parties, he said.

He advised the YSR Congress to protest the anti-people policies of the BJP.