‘Will expose Cong’s double-speak over Farm Bills’
| Date :22-Sep-2020 |
Devendra Fadnavis, Leader of Opposition (Assembly), addressing a press conference at Press Club on Monday. Sandip Joshi, Mayor; Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Krishna Khopde, Vishwas Pathak and others also are seen. (Pic by Anil Futane)
Staff Reporter :
“Congress and other parties are trying to mislead the country and farmers over the important Farm Bills passed in Parliament recently. In fact, the Farm Bills pave way for what Congress party had promised in its 2019 Lok Sabha election manifesto. We will expose Congress party’s double-speak in this regard,” said Devendra Fadnavis, former Chief Minister and currently Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly. Fadnavis was addressing a press conference at Press Club here on Monday. Sandip Joshi, Mayor; Chandrashekhar Bawankule, former Guardian Minister of district; Krishna Khopde and Vikas Kumbhare, MLAs; Girish Vyas, MLC; Vishwas Pathak, Media In-charge of Bharatiya Janata Party State unit; Manisha Kothe, Deputy Mayor; senior corporator Dayashankar Tiwari, also accompanied Fadnavis. Fadnavis thanked Central Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for passage of the Farm Bills. “These Bills have freed farmers of certain restrictions that were in effect for years together. Initially, farmers were focal point of system. Later on, middlemen used to decide the prices of agricultural commodities.
The new Bills passed in the Parliament have paved way for empowering farmers, and achieving the ‘one nation, one market’ objective,” he said. Earlier, farmers had to pay cess to Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) and outside in case they decided to sell the produce elsewhere. In 2016, State Government under BJP had allowed farmers to sell fruits outside APMC. As it produced good results, farmers had demanded to allow them to sell foodgrains also on the same lines. The new Bills have paved way for inter-State sale of agriculture produce. Now, farmers need not now pay two to eight per cent commission for selling farm produce.
Any farmer can sell his produce anywhere in the country, said Fadnavis. Stating that some are spreading lies that the Government does not want to pay minimum support price, Fadnavis said that the Prime Minister had already clarified that Government would pay minimum support price. Also, private sector can enter into contract with farmers to purchase farm produce at price agreed upon. This will lead to creation of value chains, which will ultimately benefit farmers. Farmers will also get better prices for farm produce, he added. The BJP leader flayed Congress and some other parties for having objected to the Farm Bills. He pointed out that Contract Farming Act was passed in Maharashtra in 2006 when Congress and Nationalist Congress Party combine was in power.
It is very much in implementation in State. We welcome it. It has resulted in creation of Nashik tomato chain for sauce making through agreement with a company. Global brands have directly entered into contract with farmers. “If a law is good in Maharashtra, how can it be bad when implemented across the country?” Fadnavis asked. Fadnavis accused Congress, Trinamool Congres Party, and associates, of playing politics and trying to mislead farmers. “Those opposing Farm Bills must read Congress’ manifesto of 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The new Farm Bills reflect Congress’ manifesto. Congress promised these things in its election manifesto, and Modi Government has delivered,” he remarked. Taking a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Fadnavis said that Gandhi did not know about his party’s manifesto, as it was prepared by someone else. Also, he said, Congress manifesto ahead of Punjab Assembly elections in 2017 had assured amendment to APMC Act, starting separate department for contract farming, reforms in agriculture produce sale.
These things also have been incorporated in the new Bills. When he was Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Fadnavis was Chairman of the Chief Ministers’ Task Force appointed by NITI Aayog. Kamal Nath and H D Kumaraswamy also were part of it. Fadnavis said, “New Farm Bills have been based on recommendations of the Task Force. Kamal Nath had made more dynamic suggestions, and had pitched for more liberalisation.” Besides, the Opposition at national level had demanded Swaminathan Commission recommendations to be implemented. Modi Government has done it. Still, he added, Opposition parties are opposing these bills coyly, and misleading farmers. Irrespective of their efforts, farmers are with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP will win forthcoming elections too, he said.
‘Home Minister should be careful while making statements’
Anil Deshmukh, Home Minister of Maharashtra, recently made a statement that some IPS officers had worked to destabilise Maha Vikas Aghadi Government. However, later, he retracted. Referring to this, Devendra Fadnavis said that Home Minister should be careful while making statements. “No Home Minister has shown such distrust in Maharashtra Police.
Still, let’s give him benefit of doubt,” he said. Referring to a news report that Deshmukh had vested in himself powers regarding phone-tapping in the capacity of Home Minister, Fadnavis said that it was against the Supreme Court ruling. Fadnavis, who was himself Home Minister of Maharashtra till last year, said that only Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) were empowered to take decisions regarding phone-tapping, as per the Supreme Court orders. The proposal from any Commissionerate has to be sent to Additional Chief Secretary (Home). Chief Minister or Home Minister cannot even see the proposal, leave alone review it, he said.
Shiv Sena is a confused party: Fadnavis Devendra Fadnavis, Leader of Opposition (Assembly), took a dig at Shiv Sena too for opposing the Farm Bills. “Shiv Sena is a confused party. Its stand in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha was different. Shiv Sena plays dual role. It was with us in Government in Maharashtra. Then also, it had dual stand -- being in the Government and acting like Opposition,” he remarked.
He advised Shiv Sena to decide its stand first and then speak on any issue. He challenged Shiv Sena to guarantee that there would be no suicide by farmers during Shiv Sena led Maha Vikas Aghadi Government’s term, instead of asking others to guarantee that there won’t be any suicides due to agriculture sector reforms.