Published 17:40 IST, September 25th 2020
Maharashtra Dy CM Ajit Pawar affirms 'won't implement Farm bills' amid all-India protest
As farmers across India protest against the recently passed three Farm Bills on Friday, Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said that bills won't be implemented
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As farmers across India protest against the recently passed three Farm Bills on Friday, Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said that the three bills will not be implemented in the state. Seconding his decision, Congress state president and minister Balasaheb Thorat said that as both Congress and NCP had opposed the bills in Parliament, they will not implement in the state. Its ally Shiv Sena had backed the bill in the Lok Sabha, but had remained absent during the voice-vote in the Rajya Sabha- like the NCP, Congress.
Maharashtra: 'Won't implement Farm Bills'
Farmers have opposed the Bills as they feel the Bills will not benefit them. NCP has also opposed it. What was the hurry to pass them? We are trying that these Bills aren't implemented in the State. We've held a meeting on it:
— ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2020
Maharashtra Dy CM & NCP's Ajit Pawar on farm Bills pic.twitter.com/3HviSjm7DV
Farmers protests against the 3 bills
In the food bowl of India - Punjab and Haryana, 31 farmer organisations under aegis of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) staged a Bharat Bandh, taking to the streets to block highways. Farmers have already started a three-day rail blockade against the bills and squatted on tracks at many places in Punjab. Similar protests are currently underway in Karnataka, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu with farmers demanding rollback of the bills. Prime Minister Modi has assured farmers that mandis and minimum sale price will remain, allaying the main concern of farmers and lashed out at the Opposition for 'spreading rumours'.
Maharashtra govt's farmer conundrum
Maharashtra - the state with the maximum farmer suicides - 1074 in past six months, is in a conundrum. Reports state that between January and June - 556 farmers from Vidarbha, 354 farmers from Marathwada, 139 farmers from Western Maharashtra and 15 farmers from North Maharashtra have committed suicide as compared to 1336 farmers in 2019. Moreover, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) govt had stalled Fadnavis' 'Jalyukt Shivar' scheme - the irrigation scheme for Marathwada, which has now been pulled up by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). The project which has now been stalled due to 'lack of transparency' and 'little impact in achieving water neutrality' involved deepening and widening of streams, construction of cement and earthen stop dams, undertaking work on nullahs and digging of farm ponds.
What are the three farm bills?
As the country opened up after lockdown, the Centre promulgated three ordinances - Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 & The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm services ordinance, 2020. The amendment to the Essential Commodities act was to enable better price realisation for farmers by attracting investments - making agriculture sector competitive. Agriculture foodstuff including cereals, edible oils, oilseeds, pulses, onions, and potato are to be deregulated while stock limits were to be imposed only under extreme conditions. Under the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm services ordinance, 2020, it provided a framework for the protection and empowerment of farmers with reference to the sale and purchase of farm products overriding all state APMC laws.
17:40 IST, September 25th 2020