'Centre always ready to discuss farm laws with protesting farmers,' says Argi Min Tomar

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar said that the government is always open for discussion to resolve the issue on the farm laws.Thousands of farmers from various states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and more have been protesting against the farm laws for several months citing that the bills will end the state's procurement of crops at MSP. Tomar said, "Government is always open to discussion with farmers unions and will remain open to discussion with agitating farmers to resolve the issue," in a written reply in the Upper House.

Govt always open to talks with protesting farmers: Tomar in Parliament

The Minister asserted that the government engaged itself actively and constantly with the protesting farmer unions to end the protests.  He further said that 11 rounds of negotiating talks were held between the government and agitating farmers to resolve the issue. He stated, "However, farmer unions never agreed to discuss the farm laws except for demanding their repealing." Tomar further added that various committees/task forces were constituted recommending several market reforms to remove restrictive provisions impeding the development of an efficient and competitive marketing system, for promotion of direct marketing and for encouraging contract farming. The committees also recommended the rationalisation of market fee/tax structure, deregulation of the marketing system to promote investment in market infrastructure, motivating the corporate sector to undertake direct marketing and facilitating a national integrated market. He also said that during the COVID-19 lockdown there was a need to allow free direct marketing outside the mandis to facilitate the farmers in selling their produce near to farm gate at remunerative prices, because of disruption of markets and supply chains.

Tomar also wrote about farmer protest in a written reply during monsoon session

In his statement Tomar wrote, "Government of India has proactively undertaken efforts on a series of extension activities through webinars, online conferences, workshops, teleconferencing, social media, print media, electronic media with the stakeholders on the aforesaid three Ordinances and thereafter on respective Acts." The Minister also informed that the draft of the Ordinances had been circulated to various Ministries/ Departments. It included NITI Aayog and others, for their comments on the issue. The State governments were also consulted through video conferencing (VC) on May 21, 2020. 

MSP issue being protested by the farmers 

Tomar further stated that the MSP policy has nothing to do with Farm Acts. He said that the farmers are free to sell their produce to government procurement agencies at MSP or Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) markets. He further said that the farmers can sell their products even through contract farming or in the open market, depending on whichever is more advantageous to them. 

Farmers' protest near the Parliament

A small group of 200 farmers are currently staging a farmer protest against the farm laws at the Jantar Mantar. The protest is being held only a few hundred metres from the Parliament Complex, in central Delhi. The protest was held after getting special permission from the Delhi government, while the monsoon session has been going on. The farm laws namely - The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020, were passed by the Parliament in September last year. During the 10th round of talks which were held on January 20, the Centre had offered to suspend the laws for 1 to 1.5 years and form a joint committee to find solutions. This was suggested in return for protesting farmers going back to their respective homes from Delhi NCR borders. 

SC puts implementation of farm laws on hold till further orders 

The Supreme Court has put the implementation of the three laws on hold till further orders. The SC also set up a committee to find solutions to the farmer issues and the committee has already submitted a report on the same. The farmer groups have also alleged that these laws will end the mandi and MSP procurement systems, which could leave the farmers at the mercy of big corporations, leading them to manipulate the farmers and exploit them.

With inputs from PTI 

Image: PTI