Punjab CM Amarinder Singh says 'President can't ignore farmers' will' amid passage of bill

Defending Punjab government’s move of passing bills in its state assembly to negate farm reform laws, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said that he was doing everything for farmers of country and President could t igre will of farmers.

While speaking with media, Singh said, "Agriculture is a state subject. We passed resolution rejecting three farm laws enacted by central government and Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal should also pass it in Delhi Assembly. president cant igre will of some of people of India and its farmers. Kisans (farmers) constitute 85 per cent of this country."

"I am doing everything for farmers of Punjab, and refore, farmers of this country. This is t only limited to Punjab. This extends to Haryana, Bihar, Uttar Presh, and everywhere else. I do t care about President's rule. If y want to dismiss our government, y can do so," he ded.

chief minister on Tuesday even threatened to take legal recourse if bills  President does t approve  three Bills unanimously passed Punjab Assembly. In a special session of Punjab Assembly, all legislators on Tuesday unanimously cleared three bills to negate impact of farm laws passed by Parliament.  Farmers Produce Tre & Commerce Promotion & Facilitation (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020 ensures that wheat or pdy cant be purchased except for a price equal to or greater than Minimum Support Price (MSP). Anyone buying below MSP shall be imprisoned for three years.

second bill -  Essential Commodities (Special Provision & Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020 seeks to protect consumers from hoarding and black marketing of agriculture produce. On or hand,  Farmers Agreement on Price Assurance & Farm Services(Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020 provides that sale or purchase of wheat and pdy under a farming agreement shall take place below MSP. Besides this, ar bill was cleared to ensure that land of farmers up to 2.5 acres cant be attached in any recovery proceedings.

Except for BJP MLAs who were absent from House, Assembly also unanimously passed a resolution rejecting Centre's farm laws and proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2020. However, S and AAP who supported bills in Punjab assembly attacked Congress-led government. AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal even called Punjab bills as 'false and fake'.

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Centre on Punjab's pass of bills negating farm laws

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Tuesday said Centre will "thoroughly examine" bills passed by Punjab Assembly whenever y are sent to Centre and take a decision in farmers' interest.

I learnt that Punjab government has passed bills related to agriculture reform bill alrey passed by Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. I am confident that decisions that we have taken in interest of farmers cant be compared with anything. But in democracy, Assembly (too) has power to take such decisions," Tomar told PTI.

opposition h termed farm laws, passed in monsoon session of parliament last month, as anti-farmers. opposition has been of opinion that farm laws would hamper Mandi system while affecting concept of MSP and would also le to farmers being at mercy of corporate entities and private players. However, Centre on multiple occasions has assured that new laws will free farmers from being compulsively dependent on APMC markets as farmers will be able to sell ir produce outside of Mandis without involvement of middlemen which will le to more revenue for farmers, while also having doors open to sell through Mandis if y intend to.

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