The Arunachal Pradesh BJP has welcomed the contentious farm bills passed by the Rajya Sabha on Sunday.
The state BJP termed the bills as a ‘revolutionary’ step taken by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.
“The Farmers (Employment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Service Bill, 2020 and the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 are “krantikari” and are meant for the betterment, security and benefit of the country’s farmers,” state BJP spokesperson, Mohesh Chai, said on Tuesday.
“The he Farmers (Employment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Service Bill, 202, would now allow the farmers to sell their agricultural products outside the notified Agricultural Produce Market Committee,” Chai said while interacting with the media in Itanagar
“The bill will remove the barriers in inter-state trade and prohibit the state government from collecting tax from the agricultural produce,” he said, adding that was the reason behind the protests in some states and earlier in the Rajya Sabha.
Chai said that barring state governments from collecting a market fee or tax from the farmers are the only reason why most of the anti-BJP parties are voicing against the bill.
He said the Farmers Produce Trades and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, is related to ‘contract farming’ and it would provide structural trade agreements for the sale and purchase of farm produce.
“Though there are a few farmers in Arunachal who are into contract farming, the bill will, however, provide price assurance, protection of farmers against price exploitation,” Chai said.
“Also, there will not be any mechanism of price fixation,” Chai added.
The BJP even if a farmer under ‘contract farming’ is unable to meet the demand of the corporate, they can fulfil the same in the next agricultural season leader according to the bill.
“There will not be any legal agreement on ‘land’ but on the ‘agricultural produce’. Every legal protection to the farmers is being incorporated in the bill, Chai said, while adding if there is any legal complicacy; the case should be solved locally within 30 days.
Chai further said the state government under the leadership of Chief Minister Pema Khandu is also availing all the benefits and necessary help to the local farmers to increase the local agricultural produce.
The BJP spokesperson also took a dig at the Congress and its Rajya Sabha MPs for “causing a ruckus in the Parliament over the bills and raising their voices against the “pro-farmer bills” instead of supporting it.”