Ongole: Farmers urge President not to approve farm Bills

Ongole: Prakasam district unit of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee and other farmers staged a protest at the Collectorate here on Friday against the passing of three agriculture-related Bills in the Parliament. They appealed to President of India not to approve the Bills, which would help the corporate companies but not the real farmers.

The Prakasam district convener of the AIKSCC, Chunduru Rangarao explained that the three bills-- the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act Bill 2020-- passed in Lok Sabha on September 18 and in Rajya Sabha on September 20 in an undemocratic way.

He said that though the Union minister Harsimrat Kaur demanded that a detailed discussion in the House and sending to select committee to address various suspicions on the bills, the government went ahead hurriedly and proved that the bills are not for the wellbeing of the farmers in the country.

He questioned the rationale in not mentioning the minimum support price to the farmers in the agreement bill and said that the government has snatched away the opportunity to fight for justice by adding a clause in the act preventing them from approaching court on the violators of the agreements.

He also mentioned that the government has opened doors for the bulk producers and merchants to collect produce in the season for a less price and hoard them to inflate the price of essential commodities in the market and then make their pockets very fat with the amendment of the Essential Commodities Amendment Act.

Ranagrao and other leaders also questioned the government on how it is going to address the illegal business of the companies when it has lifted the market cess with the trade and commerce bill.

They said that now the merchants can procure any quantity of the product at any price and have no liability to announce where they purchased or to where they are transporting them.

Also, they questioned what if the hoarders of the essential commodities and food grains decide to sell the produce at their desired market by neglecting the common people who require them for survival. They opined that though the government has the members' support to make any amendments and introduce bills to support their corporate friends, they should not go an unconstitutional way.

They all appealed to the President of India to please understand why the farmers are against the bills and send them back to the parliament for review and make farmer-friendly changes in them.