Row over agrarian laws: Tejashwi Yadav predicts exploitation of farmer by private players

Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday backed the farmers' stir against the three agrarian laws passed by the Parliament. Maintaining that farmers should get a fair price for their produce, the RJD leader called upon the governments to ensure that their income is doubled. Highlighting that agriculture was a sector yet to be privatised, he opined that the entry of the private sector shall lead to the exploitation of the farmers. He recalled that RJD had hit the streets to protest against 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.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav remarked, "The farmers should get a fair price for their crops. In fact, all of us must deliberate on how their income can be doubled.  We had fought the Bihar election on earnings, truth, medicine and education. In Bihar, the Mandi system has been scrapped. While Air India, Railways and petroleum companies have been privatised, the only sector which was not privatised was agriculture. It is clear that the farmers will be exploited because of the entry of the private sector. We had protested on the streets regarding this."

Read: Farmers' Unions To Burn Effigies In Maha, Gujarat On Dec 5 In Protest Against Farm Laws

Centre to resume talks with farmer unions

The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 aims at freeing the farmers from the constraints of the state Agriculture Produce Market Committees whereby they would be able to sell their produce anywhere. Meanwhile, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 protects and empowers farmers to engage with processors, wholesalers, large retailers, exporters for farm services. This entails the provision of contract farming.

On the other hand, 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. The protesting farmers have raised concerns about the future of the APMC and MSP. On Thursday, the fourth round of talks between the Centre and the farmer unions will take place at the Vigyan Bhawan in the national capital. 

Read: Opposition Misleading Farmers On Farm Laws: BJP MP Virendra Singh Mast