Union Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy said the Centre is ready to make any changes in the Farm Acts if specific objections are pointed out by the farmers bodies or the political parties, but appealed “not to blindly oppose them” as they are only meant to benefit the farmers.
“The BJP came to power with the support of the farmers so why will the Government take any steps detrimental to their interests? We have no reservations in changing any part of the Acts, however, seeking total withdrawal is not right. Farmers, 85% of whom own less than five acres, should not become pawns in the hands of political parties because of their dislike towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.
Addressing a press conference at the party office on Monday, the minister said the Centre and the farmers organisations had agreed on eight points including providing legal cover to the Minimum Support Price (MSP), increasing the number of market yards from 6,000 - though it was in the States domain, providing more warehousing and cold storage chains and so on. But, the leaders of the farmers groups went back on their word and are now insisting on total withdrawal, he maintained.
Mr. Reddy blamed the ‘Mandi’ lobby for the strike in Delhi and that “except in Punjab, farmers across the country have welcomed the new Acts”. “But, we respect those agitating also as they are also farmers and we have tried to convince them. Fact also is more than 60% of farm produce is sold outside the mandis,” he said.
Corporates and private groups have already been involved in agriculture activities for long and the new Acts, in fact, provided more teeth to benefit the farmers in case of any malfeasance, he pointed out and affirmed that the Government will continue to focus on reforms to make agriculture profitable and to provide enhanced incomes to the farmers.
“The new Acts are based on the recommendations of the Dr. M.S. Swaminathan committee and demands of various farmers organisations as well as Left groups to mitigate the sufferings of the small and marginal farmers. Since a majority of the population continue to depend on agriculture, we have no option but to focus on increasing productivity and incomes,” he said.
Mr. Reddy claimed the Modi Government had taken up several initiatives to help the agriculture sector in the last six years like ensuring continuous and reliable power supply, fertilisers on demand, support for cold storages and warehousing, funding soil testing, filip to drip irrigation and the farm insurance schemes. “Soon the revived Ramagundam fertiliser unit at 6,000 will start supplying ‘Kisan’ brand of fertiliser for the benefit of the farmers of the Telugu States.
