Amid farm law stir, Union Cabinet says APMCs can utilise Rs.1 Lakh Cr fund for farmers

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday said that the APMC markets will be able to utilise funds from Rs 1 Lakh Crore allotted in the annual budget to the agriculture sector. Demolishing the narrative that the existence of the APMC market system is threatened by the new farm laws, the Union Agriculture Minister said the funds can be utilised to strengthen the APMC markets.

"In this budget, it was said that Mandis won't be abolished but will be strengthened and efforts will be made to strengthen the infrastructure. Rs 1 Lakh crore fund allocated to agriculture under the Atmanirbhar Bharat can be used by the APMC to strengthen infrastructure," Narendra Tomar said while informing that the decision was taken during the cabinet meeting that took place earlier in the day.

Addressing the press conference further, he said, "Even after the implementation of the new farm laws, APMC Mandies will get crores of rupees from the Central Government under the infrastructure fund allocated to strengthen agriculture sector."

Watch: Narendra Tomar's address on APMC markets

Farmers' protests against the new farm laws

Farmers' protests have been carried out at the borders of the national capital and several other places against the new farm laws. The protesting farmers have demanded the withdrawal of laws terming them 'anti-farmers'. The Central Government has stayed the implementation of the farm laws for 18 months and urged the protesting farmers to hold clause by clause discussion of farm laws and elaborate on which clause the farmers have problems with. Refusing to hold a clause by clause discussion, the agitating farmers have demanded the repeal of the new farm laws while claiming that the laws threaten the MSP mechanism and APMC market system.

The Centre has even assured the farmers on multiple occasions that the MSP mechanism will continue even after the implementation of farm laws and the government also procured the farmers produce in record quantities in the following period, however, the adamant protesting farmers have reiterated the demands of repealing of farm laws.

The protesting farmers - majorly from Punjab, Haryana and some parts of UP - have even refused to hold deliberations with the Supreme Court-appointed panel to understand the issue of the farmers with respect to the farm laws. Rakesh Tikait, Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson, who has been at the helm of the farmers' protest, has made several provocative statements over the issue. The tractor rally organised by protesting farmers unions on Republic Day led to massive violence injuring over 500 Delhi Police personnel.