Evenas he led the State Assembly in seeking unconditional withdrawal of the FarmLaws, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday asked 10questions from the nation to expose the true intent of the Centre behind thelegislations, which he said were unacceptable to the farmers and the stateunder any circumstances.
Healso appealed to the Government of India to withdraw all cases and noticesagainst the agitating farmers to build a congenial environment for an amicablesolution.
Introducinga resolution calling for repeal of the Farm Laws by the Centre, the ChiefMinister declared in the Vidhan Sabha that these laws cannot be accepted andallowed to remain on the statute book to the detriment of the farmers, as notonly are they against the principles of cooperative federalism but theirobjectives are apparently preposterous.
TheResolution, which was later passed unanimously by those present in the House, expressedthe angst of the members against the “inconsiderate and unresponsive attitude”of the Government of India, which has aggravated the situation and enhancedunrest and anguish amongst the farmers. It demanded the unconditionalwithdrawal of the Farm Laws in the interest of the farmers and the State, andto continue with the existing system of MSP-based government procurement offood grains.
WhileSAD MLAs were suspended by the Speaker over unruly behaviour while the ChiefMinister was speaking on the issue, AAP members had staged a walk-out before itwas put to vote.
Ostensibly,these laws are aimed to achieve the objective of doubling the income offarmers, but it does not appear to be so, Captain Amarinder said while tablingthe Resolution, pointing out that the farmers consider these a threat to theirlivelihood, and as a result, they started agitation against these laws,demanding that these may be withdrawn. Pointing out that his government hadright from the beginning, since 5th June 2020 when the three Ordinances on theissue were promulgated by the Centre, had opposed the laws, he termed asunfortunate the fact that the three Bills passed unanimously by Punjab Assemblyto counter the ill-effects of the Farm Laws had still not been grated thePresidential assent required to enforce them under Article 254 (2) of theConstitution of India has still not been granted.
Underliningthe need to immediately repeal the central Farm Laws, the Chief Minister raised10 vital questions to the nation, exposing the lacunae that make thelegislations unacceptable under any circumstances. He went on to ask:
1. Who benefits from completely UnregulatedPrivate Mandis?
2. Who benefits from 100% waiver of MandiFees, Cess, and taxes in a Private Mandi?
3. Who benefits by debarring GovernmentOfficials from offering MSP to farmers in a Private Mandi?
4. Who benefits when we abolish theinstitution of Arhtiyas, who are mandated by law to provide Mandi Services ofcleaning of grains, unloading and loading of bags and stitching of bagsstrictly at rates fixed by the Government?
5. Who benefits when Mandi Fees/charges,currently mandated to be paid by the purchaser, are deregulated with a libertyto charge these from the farmers?
6. Who benefits when Private Mandis are givena liberty to fix services charges for any activity undertaken in such a Mandi?
7. Who benefits when farmers are debarredfrom approaching civil courts for any dispute related to an Agreement signedwith the Corporates?
8. Who benefits when the Government isrendered ineligible to intervene into any dispute between the farmer and acorporate?
9. Who benefits when Stock Limits on storageof food grains by private persons/corporates are abolished?
10. Who benefits when the specifications of seeds and fertilizers are totallyderegulated and the Government is rendered ineligible to specify any parametersfor them?
Thoughnobody dares speak out aloud, the response to these questions is clear, saidthe Chief Minister, adding that his government was fully conscious that theGovernment of India” has no choice but to withdraw these legislations, andallow the time-tested existing agriculture marketing systems to continue,ensuring socio-economic security of the farmers and farm workers.”
RESOLUTION:
“ThisHouse regrets to note that the Government of India has neither resolved thepresent crisis emanating from the agitation of farmers against the new farmlaws namely, (a) The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion andFacilitation) Act, 2020; (b) The Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection)Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and (c) The EssentialCommodities (Amendment) Act, 2020, nor have they conveyed assent of Hon’blePresident under Article 254 (2) of the Constitution to the three amendmentbills namely, (a) the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion andFacilitation) (Special Provisions and Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020; (b) theFarmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and FarmServices (Special Provisions and Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020; the EssentialCommodities (Special Provisions and Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020; and ‘The Codeof Civil Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020, passed on 20th October 2020.Copies of the State Amendment Bills are attached.
“Thisinconsiderate and unresponsive attitude has aggravated the situation andenhanced unrest and anguish amongst the farmers, who have been continuing withtheir peaceful agitation against the new Central farm laws. In the process, notonly the livelihood of a large number of farmers, and farmworkers have beenadversely affected, but substantial loss has also been caused to trade,business, and industry in the State. Even the precious human lives of 125farmers and farmworkers have so far been lost. As a consequence of the unfairand unjust attitude of the Government of India, the farmers are persisting withtheir demand to repeal these new Central laws.
TheHouse resolves to once again urge upon the Government of India to withdraw theselaws unconditionally in the larger interest of the farmers, and the State andcontinue with the existing system of MSP-based government procurement of foodgrains.”