Excelsior Correspondent
MOHALI, Oct 20 : Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said today that the Punjab Government headed by Captain Amarinder Singh is raking up the issues not mentioned in the Farm Bills.
Addressing the Punjab media, in the presence of BJP National Secretary Tarun Chugh and National Spokespersons Sambit Patra and Iqbal Singh, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the Bills moved by the Congress government in Punjab Assembly today are based on speculative postulations and not the actual content of the legislations passed by the Parliament at the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. For example, MSP does not not find mention in the legislation passed by the Parliament nor has it been part of any other legislation the passed even during the Congress regimes and yet the Bills moved in the Punjab Assembly seek to raise unwarranted fears with regard to MSP
MSP has always been a part of administrative convention and practice, said Dr Jitendra Singh and therefore, there was no logic or context in mentioning in any legislation and the same has been the practice followed by the Congress governments in the past. Before seeking a law to prosecute those violating MSP, he said, Punjab government should first ensure that government procurement by the Punjab State is not done at rates below MSP as is being reported from certain places, he added.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, legislation brought by the Modi government will pave the way for true democratization of the Agricultural Sector and empowerment of young Agricultural Technocrats. It is for the Punjab government now to explain whether they are with the common farmer or with the middlemen who have so far engaged in the trade of farmers’ produce, he said.
Recalling that erstwhile UPA Government had also taken stand in support of elimination of middlemen and the Congress party manifesto also mentions modifying and liberalising the APMC/Mandi mechanism, Dr Jitendra Singh asked, what has changed so soon that the Congress Party is now going back on its own committed stand. Is this because the conviction and will power to go ahead was lacking on their part and when this government has taken the initiative, the Congress does not wish that credit should go to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said.
To be fair, Dr Jitendra Singh said, even if it is conceded that APMC/Mandi arrangement was required two decades ago, now the times have changed and we have no right to deprive farmers or agriculturists of the wide range of marketing options available today.
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