Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Friday launched a scathing attack on the Central government saying that the Farm Bills passed by the Parliament in the Monsoon Session without consultation from States was the biggest blow by the NDA ruled Central Government on the concept of cooperative federalism in the country.
The CM, holding a press conference here on Friday, said that on one hand, the Central Government made a law by encroaching on State subject and on the other hand it did not even take necessary consultations from the States in this regard. He said that even if the law was enacted, it should have been left to the states to implement it, so that the states would be free to implement it after examining the merits of the Bill. But, the Central government is adopting a dictatorial attitude and imposing it on the States.
He said that every State of the country has a different system of farming, in which case the agricultural law of one nature is irrational for the whole country. Pointing out the flaws of the law, he said that it is a Bill, which is not bound by any time limit, but is permanent.
The CM, who was present with Minister Alamgir Alam said that if the Center continues its arbitrariness, then there will be Ulagulan (Great Tumult) in the State and people will be forced to take to the streets. He said that there is no awareness of the interest of farmers in the agricultural Bill. Describing the Bill as anti-farmer, he said that it would only benefit traders and companies.
Soren added the Mahajani system will come into force once again with the Agricultural Bill. It is the same Mahajani system, against which the people of Jharkhand agitated for years and worked to root it out. He said that these mahajans will get the crop planted in the farmers’ farm on the contract and will decide the price of the crop. “Because, it is not clear in the agricultural Bill that the farmers, who are on the contract will pay the minimum support price for the crop that is being planted in the farm. At the same time, if the contract is broken with the farmer, the farmer will have to travel to the courts for justice. In this situation, the problematic farmer will have no choice but to commit suicide,” he said.
The CM said that hoarders will benefit with the agriculture Bill. With the curbs on hoarding ending, Mahajans will start setting arbitrary prices. Giving the example of Chanakya’s statement, he said that the people of the country, where the king is a businessman, will be beggars. Referring to the rising prices of potato and onion, he said that we have to forget what to eat.
The CM added the Prime Minister has somehow misused the powers conferred by the Constitution and imposed the Agriculture Bill on the farmers. This is the reason why farmers of all the states of the country are agitated. He said that he does not understand in which direction the Prime Minister wants to take the country. First he unilaterally decided on GST, coal auction, education policy etc. and now has adopted the same attitude on agriculture Bill.
The CM said that the State Government is moving towards structural changes to strengthen the rural economy. He said that the government is going to make a provision of Rs 250 crore in collaboration with NABARD to develop the infrastructure of villages. He said that its main objective is that the farmers do not need middlemen.