Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Friday passed a resolution seeking “unconditional withdrawal” of the central farm laws in the interest of the farmers and the State, and to continue with the existing system of MSP-based government procurement of food grains.
The Resolution, which was later passed unanimously by those present in the House, expressed the angst of the members against the Centre’s “inconsiderate and unresponsive attitude”, which has aggravated the situation and enhanced unrest and anguish amongst the farmers.
Introducing a resolution calling for repeal of the farm laws by the Centre, the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh declared in the Vidhan Sabha that these laws cannot be accepted and allowed to remain on the statute book to the detriment of the farmers, as not only are they against the principles of cooperative federalism but their objectives are apparently preposterous.
At the same time, the Chief Minister asked 10 questions from the nation to expose the Centre’s true intent behind the legislations, which “are unacceptable to the farmers and the State under any circumstances”.
The Chief Minister also appealed to the Central Government to withdraw all cases and notices against the agitating farmers to build a congenial environment for an amicable solution.
While the Speaker Rana KP Singh had suspended the SAD MLAs over “unruly behaviour” during the Chief Minister’s speech, AAP MLAs had staged a walk-out before the resolution was put to vote.
Ostensibly, these laws are aimed to achieve the objective of doubling the farmers’ income, but it does not appear to be so, Capt Amarinder said while tabling the Resolution, pointing out that the farmers consider these a threat to their livelihood, and as a result, they started agitation against these laws, demanding that these may be withdrawn.
Capt Amarinder also termed it “unfortunate” that the three Bills, passed unanimously by Punjab Assembly to counter the ill-effects of the farm laws, had still not been granted the Presidential assent required to enforce them under Article 254 (2) of the Constitution of India.
Underlining the need to immediately repeal the central farm laws, the Chief Minister raised 10 vital questions to the nation, exposing the lacunae that make the legislations unacceptable under any circumstances.
“I wanted to ask who benefits from completely unregulated private mandis? Who benefits from 100 percent waiver of mandi fees, cess, and taxes in a private mandi? Who benefits by debarring Government Officials from offering MSP to farmers in a private mandi? Who benefits when we abolish the institution of arhtiyas, who are mandated by law to provide mandi services of cleaning of grains, unloading and loading of bags and stitching of bags strictly at rates fixed by the Government? Who benefits when Mandi Fees or charges, currently mandated to be paid by the purchaser, are deregulated with a liberty to charge these from the farmers? Who benefits when private mandis are given a liberty to fix services charges for any activity undertaken in such a mandi? Who benefits when farmers are debarred from approaching civil courts for any dispute related to an agreement signed with the corporates? Who benefits when the Government is rendered ineligible to intervene into any dispute between the farmer and a corporate? Who benefits when stock limits on storage of food grains by private persons or corporates are abolished?
Who benefits when the specifications of seeds and fertilizers are totally deregulated and the Government is rendered ineligible to specify any parameters for them?” asked Capt Amarinder.
“Though nobody dares speak out aloud, the response to these questions is clear,” said the Chief Minister, adding that Punjab Government was fully conscious that the Government of India has no choice but to withdraw these legislations, and allow the time-tested existing agriculture marketing systems to continue, ensuring socio-economic security of the farmers and farm workers.
STOP REPREHENSIBLE STATEMENTS AGAINST FARMERS: CAPT TO CENTRE
Launching a frontal attack against BJP leaders over their reprehensible statements against the farmers, Capt Amarinder asserted that Punjab’s farmers and farm workers are not anti-nationals but are the same patriotic and nationalistic people who gave their lives for the country in Galwan valley last year to protect India’s integrity and sovereignty. Calling for an immediate end to attempts to defame Punjabi farmers by branding them miscreants or ultras, the Chief Minister said that “they have never done anything anti-national, they are not anti-national, and they will never do anything against the unity and integrity of this country”.
“They are patriotic and nationalistic – while one son ploughs the fields in the village, the other brother is busy guarding the country’s borders.
These are the same people who gave their lives for the country, along with soldiers from other States too, in Galwan last year protecting the sovereignty of our country,” said the Chief Minister, urging the Centre to ensure that this defamation campaign against farmers is immediately ended.
Pointing out that despite 11 rounds of discussions, the Government of India was unmoved and unconcerned about the protests of the farmers across the country, and had not taken any positive step to meet their demands, the Chief Minister said: “Instead, the statements and allegations of some of the leaders who are not familiar with the ground realities have aggravated the situation and have further anguished the farmers.”
AAP AGAIN EXPOSED ITS ANTI-FARMER AGENDA BY WALKING OUT BEFORE VOTE ON RESOLUTION
Capt Amarinder lashed out at AAP for “once again exposing its true colours” on the issue of the farm laws and the farmers’ agitation by walking out of the House before the Resolution seeking repeal of the legislations was put to vote. The Chief Minister, after the session, said that the party had never been truly concerned about protecting the farmers or their interests, and its leadership again proved itself to be an agent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with whom AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was colluding against the agitating farmers.
CAPT SETS THE TONE FOR ASSEMBLY POLLS
Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Friday used the last budget session of the current Government as a platform to set the tone for the 2022 state assembly elections. Among other things, the Chief Minister declared that the free power to the farmers and subsidized power to the industry will continue, besides 200 free units of power to SC, BPL or BC households and freedom fighters in the State.
Giving his concluding remarks on the discussion over the Governor’s Address to the House, the Chief Minister also announced that the remaining 1.13 lakh of the 5.64 lakh small and marginal farmers, eligible for the State Government’s debt waiver scheme, would be covered within the next fiscal year.
Besides, he announced that the State Government would disburse Rs 520 crores to 2.85 lakh landless farm labourers, who are members of the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies.
He also claimed that the farmers’ incomes have also increased through higher quantities purchased on MSP in the state.”Food grains purchased annually were 213.5 lakh million tones (yearly average) during 2007-2017, and have increased to 285 lakh million tones (yearly average) during 2017-21,” he said.
“Total remuneration of farmers from Government Procurement of food grains has gone up to Rs 2.16 lakh crore since April 2017, which is an increase of about Rs 90,668 crore over the earnings in the corresponding procurement seasons of the previous Government. Thus, the farmers’ incomes through sale of food grains has increased by more than 72 percent ever since the Government took over in March 2017,” said the Chief Minister, adding that all payments to farmers were done online bringing more transparency.
Also making it clear that free and subsidized power benefits would not be withdrawn by his Government at any cost, the Chief Minister said that the government was totally committed to the welfare of all sections of the people, with focus on the development of key sectors, including agriculture and industry.
“There are approximately 14.23 lakh tube-wells in the State, and the total subsidy borne by the State is Rs 5,733 crore for the year 2018-19, and Rs 6060 crore for the year 2019-20,” said Captain Amarinder, thus benefitting 14.23 lakh farmers. Besides, 1.36 lakh industries had, so far, received Rs 6,010 crore in power subsidy, while 24.31 lakh domestic consumers were getting free power, he added.
Promising all-out efforts to meet the people’s aspirations, Capt Amarinder expressed the confidence that the people of the state will not be carried away by the “false promises and euphoric claims of some leaders who are completely detached from Punjab and Punjabiyat,” but would continue to repose confidence in his transparent, and responsive government.
“We have noted every genuine concern expressed by the Members of this House, and would make every possible effort to meet aspirations of the people of Punjab,” he said, while seeking “some more time”.
Thanking the people for showing faith in his government as manifest in the sweeping mandate for the Congress in the recently-concluded municipal election, he assured the people that he, along with his team of Ministers and MLAs, would never let them down in meeting their aspirations in future as well.
Giving ‘report card’ of the Government’s four-year tenure, the Chief Minister pointed out that of the 546 commitments or promises made to the people of Punjab in the manifesto during the 2017 elections, “the government has fulfilled 455, translating into success rate of 84.6 percent — a feat never achieved before by any political party”.
He assured the House that the remaining promises of his Government will also be fulfilled in the time left at its disposal.
Summing up the outcomes of his government’s pro-poor policies and programmes, he reiterated the benefits delivered to farmers, domestic and industrial consumers as a result of free or subsidized power, as well as debt relief to farmers and farm workers.
He further spoke about free health insurance to 38 lakh families (nearly 68 percent of the State’s population), social security pensions to over 25 lakh old aged, widows and disabled persons, subsidized rations to 1.55 crore persons including 9 lakh persons funded by the State, coverage of about 7.5 lakh women headed households and seven lakh persons with disabilities.
In addition, 1.74 lakh youth had benefitted as a result of the free smartphones scheme, said the Chief Minister, adding that, contextual and locally relevant infrastructure is being developed in almost all villages and towns of the State.
Asserting his resolve to bring to book all those involved in sacrilege and police firing incidents of Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura, Capt Amarinder informed the House that on the recommendations of the Commission, constituted by his government to investigate the cases, so far, five Police or Civil Officials had been identified or nominated for legal action, while five persons had been convicted up the courts.
ENFORCEMENT DIRECTORATE UNDER SENIOR COP TO CRACK DOWN ON ILLEGAL MINING
Vowing to completely eliminate the scourge of illegal mining from the state, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Friday announced the constitution of an Enforcement Directorate for Mining, under the command of a senior Police officer with adequate police force at his command.
Slamming the previous SAD-BJP Government for not only patronizing illegal mining but actively promoting systemized loot of the state exchequer, the Chief Minister said that Congress Government had spent the last four years in setting in order the mining revenues, which the erstwhile regime had allowed to be frittered away, he was now “cracking down on the aspect of illegal mining” in a big way.
When Congress Government took over, the revenue from mining was as low as Rs 35 crore annually, which has been enhanced to Rs 250 crore — an increase of Rs 215 crore, said the Chief Minister, expressing shock over the loss of Rs 2,150 crore by the Akali-BJP combine during their 10-year rule.