Published 22:49 IST, October 24th 2020
Akali Dal challenges Punjab CM; asks 'When will state farm bills come in force?'
Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, questioned if Punjab state government's bills annulled agriculture laws and when his state bills will come in force
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Continuing to oppose Punjab CM Capt. Amarinder Singh and his Farm Bills, Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, on Saturday, questioned if his state government's bills annulled agriculture laws and when his state bills will come into being. Badal asked had Singh made 'minimum sale price a statutory right of farmers', giving the Punjab CM 15 days to answer. Punjab Assembly recently passed three state farm bills annulling the Centre's farm laws and now await the President's nod.
Akali Dal: 'Have you annulled Centre's Farm laws?'
Challenging @capt_amarinder to reveal if he had annulled the central Agri laws & when the new Bills passed in Vidhan Sabha would come into being, the SAD president also asked the CM to tell farmers if the Bills moved by him in VS had made MSP a statutory right of farmers. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/GmCwgJaCBD
— Shiromani Akali Dal (@Akali_Dal_) October 24, 2020
Punjab CM: 'Akali Dal in cahoots with BJP'
On Friday, Singh attacked the Akali Dal for taking a 'u-turn' and rejecting his government's farm bills, claiming that they are in cahoots with BJP. While speaking about the farm laws, he accused Sukhbir Singh Badal of 'brazen lies and petty political games'. He further scoffed at Akali Dal's suggestion that he should have consulted you before bringing amendment bills, stating, "NDA must have done that in the matter of farm laws, which explains why they messed it up so badly".
'Your suggestion that I should have consulted you before bringing amendment Bills to save farmers is hilarious @officeofssbadal. NDA must have done that in matter of #farmlaws, which explains why they messed it up so badly':@capt_amarinder pic.twitter.com/4YID5lNBxe
— Raveen Thukral (@RT_MediaAdvPbCM) October 24, 2020
Punjab govt passes 3 farm bills to counter Centre's 3 laws
Countering the Centre's Farm laws, on Tuesday, Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh passed three bills to negate the Centre's farm laws - Essential Commodities (Amendment) 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm services Act 2020 and the Farmers' produce trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020. The assembly also passed a fourth bill based on 2017 Congress manifesto that promises to protect landholdings of up to 2.5 acres from attachment if farmers fail to pay off their debt. Now the bills await the President's nod.
The three state bills make MSP - a legal provision, assuaging the biggest demand of protesting farmers. The assembly also passed a resolution seeking annulment of the central farm laws, as well as the promulgation of a fresh ordinance making the procurement of foodgrains on MSP a statutory right of the farmers. The bills also seek punishment for sale/purchase below MSP, as well as farmer harassment. Moreover, it seeks to levy a fee on traders, or electronic trading and transaction platforms, for trade and commerce in a trade area outside APMC mandis - countering Centre's move allowing the sale of produce by farmers outside mandis. The assembly has also reintroduced state government's powers to impose stock limits under extraordinary circumstances - robbing the Centre of this power.
After the bills were cleared by the assembly, the Punjab CM led an all-party delegation to Raj Bhavan and handed over the bills to Punjab Governor V.P.S. Badnore, to be forwarded to the President. Singh has also announced, 'I am ready to resign', when asked if the Centre imposed President’s Rule in the state. Other states like Maharashtra, Telangana, West Bengal, Chhatisgarh have pledged to 'not implement these laws', but Punjab is the first to enact laws countering it.
22:49 IST, October 24th 2020