Amid price rise of essential items, WB CM Mamata urges Centre to intervene; slams farm law

On Monday, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking the Centre to control hoarding, to increase supply and to bring down the prices of essential commodities. According to her, the powers of the State in this regard had been bulldozed owing to the passage of the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. She mentioned that cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oil, onions and potatoes have been removed from the list of essential commodities, thus harming the interests of the farmers and consumers.

Alleging that the agrarian laws were enacted without consultation with the States, Banerjee noted that the amendments were encouraging hoarding and profiteering on essential items such as potato, onion etc. This, she observed, had put common people to a huge discomfort. Recalling that West Bengal had effectively controlled prices in 2014 and 2015, the WB CM stated that only the Union government now has the power to regulate agri-products.

In the alternative, she urged the Centre to either restore the power of the state government to control the production, supply, distribution and sale of agricultural commodities or allow WB to enact appropriate legislation to ensure the same. In the letter, Banerjee stressed that the state government cannot be a silent spectator to the ongoing sufferings of the people. Mamata Banerjee-led TMC had strongly opposed the farm bills in the Parliament.

Read: Opposition Parties Creating Fear Among Farmers Over New Farm Laws: Jitendra Singh

Read: Cabinet Approves Reforms In Essential Commodities Act; Farmers Free From APMC Constraints

Read the full letter here:

Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020

On June 5, President Ram Nath Kovind promulgated The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020. After bills to replace these ordinances were cleared by both Houses of Parliament in the Monsoon Session of Parliament, they were signed into law by the President on September 27. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 specifies that the supply of foodstuffs including cereals, pulses, potato, edible oilseeds, and oils shall be regulated only under exceptional circumstances such as war, famine, extraordinary price rise, and natural calamity of a grave nature. According to the Centre, the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 had been amended to ensure that the farmers get a good price on many commodities.

Read: U-turn In 10 Days? Harsimrat Kaur Badal's Sept 7 Video Hailing Farm Ordinances Emerges

Read: 'Admit Congress Made A Mistake In 2019': Nadda Slams Punjab CM's Opposition To Farm Laws