MUMBAI: Some MLCs on Friday demanded in the Maharashtra Legislative Council that the state government pass a resolution against implementation of the three agri marketing laws of the Centre.
However, BJP MLCs, led by leader of opposition in the Council Pravin Darekar, insisted that the new laws laws were pro-farmer, and claimed the previous Congress-led UPA government and NCP chief Sharad Pawar had supported these agriculture sector reforms.
Congress leader and Cooperation Minister Balasaheb Patil said the Supreme Court had stayed the implementation of the laws and, hence, they would not implemented in the state.
In January, the apex court stayed the implementation of the laws till further orders and had set up a committee to resolve the impasse between the Centre and farmer groups protesting near Delhi.
Patil made the comments following discussion on the issue mooted by NCP's Shashikant Shinde, who said the laws do not guarantee minimum support price to farmers and also threaten the APMC mechanism.
The Peasants and Workers' Party (PWP) leader Jayant Patil said states like Punjab and Kerala had passed resolutions against these laws and Maharashtra too should pass such a resolution during the ongoing session of the legislature.
Congress MLC Ashok alias Bhai Jagtap also opposed the implementation of the laws in the state.
However, Darekar countered their arguments by claiming the new laws do not aim to end the MSP or APMC mechanisms, adding that these reforms came up for discussion for the first time in 2001, when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was leading an NDA government.
"After that the Congress was in power for 10 years. They also supported the reforms. They also gave these reforms a place in their manifesto, and had taken a stand that market committees be scrapped," Darekar said.
He added that Pawar, as Union agriculture minister between 2004 and 2014, also supported these reforms.
"Let there be discussion in the House. Bring a resolution, we should discuss it for a week. You tell how the laws are wrong and we will honestly try to tell you how the laws are in the interest of farmers," Darekar said.
Darekar said the laws were discussed at length before being enacted, with drafts of the bills being sent to states for suggestions etc, adding that some 1.5 lakh training camps and webinars were held to explain the details of these reforms to people, especially farmers.
NCP's Shinde objected to Darekar's claim that Pawar supported these reforms earlier.
Minister Patil said the state had formed a nine-member sub-committee under deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar to discuss and study these laws.