Farmer: Who will save the contract from the looters in the farming ?, Tomar said: The companies retracting will be fined. Farmers’ question – Who will save the contract from the looters in farming ?, Tomar said – retaliatory companies will be fined

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Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that the government’s intention behind the new laws is that the exploitation of food providers should be stopped. -File photo

Farmers’ organizations are opposing agricultural laws. A large number of farmers are camping on the Delhi border. To convince the farmers, the Union Agriculture Minister held talks with the farmers’ organizations on Tuesday, but was not successful. Dainik Bhaskar took the questions that he wanted to ask the government from the farmers’ organizations and took answers from Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.

1. Was there any demand for making these three or similar laws in any peasant movement? Was the farmers’ organization consulted to draft laws?
The National Farmers Commission had made recommendations. It is the intention of the government behind the new laws that the exploitation of feeders should stop. Out of 201 recommendations of the Swaminathan Committee, 200 have been implemented under Modi’s leadership.
(The minister did not say in which movement the demand for laws arose.)

2. Is there any peasant organization or peasant leader in the country in support of these laws?
Farmers across the country have supported the new laws. If this was not done then the movement would have started across the country. Political parties are trying to mislead farmers.

3. If there is no threat to MSP by these laws, then why is the government not making MSP the legal right of the farmer?
There is no talk of MSP in these laws, due to political selfishness, opposition parties are spreading confusion. The Prime Minister has said that MSP was, is and will continue to be. Why Confusion Then?

4. Who will save the farmer from plundering in contract farming?
The new contract farming system is clear, in which farmers will not be exploited. Whoever deals with the crop of farmers in advance, everything will be in written agreement. The farmer will make this agreement on his own free will, the price at which the contract to sell will have to be fulfilled by the buyer of the produce till the end. The farmer is not obliged to abide by this contract in case of any problem. There will be no loss to the farmers if the contract is broken, while the buyer retracts from the transaction, he will incur heavy penalty, which will be paid to the farmer. Similarly, the contract will not deal at all at the farmers’ land. The land will remain the farmer. The deal will only be of the crop. At present also, Contract Farming Act / Rules are in force in many states including Punjab, Haryana. Equality is also assured to benefit the farmers more than having one kind of rules in the whole country.

5. Why were these laws passed without dividing the Rajya Sabha?
The uproar that the opposition created during the passage of the bill in Rajya Sabha has become marked by black spots on our democracy. When I wanted to answer, the Opposition colleagues were not ready to listen.

6. Will these laws not provide free waiver of hoarding, how will farmers benefit?
The question of hoarding comes when there is a food crisis in the country. India is not only self-sufficient in terms of food grains, but also surplus.

7. Will not the market end by allowing companies outside the market without tax purchase? If the market is not left, how will the farmer survive? Where will be the purchase at the government rate?
Mandis are not being eliminated by the new law. Only traders will buy their produce from farmers, it is not there in the law. Any merchant holding a pancard can buy agricultural produce or farmers can sell it directly from the farm to the consumers. The freedom to sell agricultural produce has now fully come to the farmers. There is a direct benefit to the farmers as well as the public, along with the farmers, due to the non-taxation outside the mandi perimeter.

8. Why were Ordinances brought between lockdown and epidemic? If there was such a need, why did the government not take any order under these laws for three months after bringing the ordinance?
Answer the first to say such a thing, during the lockdown, were only agricultural laws introduced in the country? Was there any other government work? During the lockdown itself, the country has moved rapidly towards self-sufficient India campaign. 20 lakh crore rupees packages have been announced, which have also been implemented. Due to the new agricultural law, farmer Jitendra Bhoji of Dhule district of Maharashtra was able to get the outstanding payment from the merchant of Madhya Pradesh through SDM in exchange for selling his produce, which has been provided in the new rules.

9. If the state governments provide cheap electricity to the farmers, then why is the Center interfering by making laws to stop it?
(Tomar did not respond.)

Tomar said – 93 million crore rupees transferred to 10 crore farmers
Agriculture Minister said- Under the PM Kisan Yojana, about 100 million farmers of the country have been transferred 93 thousand crore rupees directly into their account. Adequate arrangements have been made to ensure that farmers do not lack fertilizer. In three-and-a-half years, a premium of about 17 thousand 738 crores was paid by the farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, while five times the amount, i.e. about 87 thousand crores was disbursed in payment of their claims.