Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, Punjab Congress today alleged that the Modi government has confirmed its anti-farmer agenda by taking a complete U-turn on the issue of implementation of Dr. Swaminathan Committee report before the Supreme Court.
In a press release issued today, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, the spokesman of Punjab Congress said, “By shamelessly refusing to implement the Dr. Swaminathan Committee report, the Modi government has clearly exposed its anti farmer face within a short span of eight months.”
Khaira said that the BJP on page 28 of its election manifesto had promised to implement the Dr. Swaminathan Committee report, particularly with regards to fixation of MSP of crops.
As per the recommendations of Swaminathan Committee, MSP would be fixed at 50 percent profit over and above the total cost of inputs incurred on the crops.
Khaira said that now everybody knows that while replying to a public interest petition filed by Consortium of Indian Farmers Association in the Supreme Court of India, the Modi led BJP government has blatantly refused to implement the recommendations of the Dr. Swaminathan Committee. This is not only a complete U-turn by the BJP but is equal to stabbing the farmers in their back, he said.
The Congress leader alleged that the BJP government was also toying with yet another dangerous anti farmer move, to dismantle the Food Corporation of India and do away with the Minimum Support Price (MSP) mechanism. The Shanta Kumar Committee has already submitted its report to the central government making recommendations against the FCI and the MSP mechanism, he said.
Khaira said, “Similarly, in order to benefit corporate houses like the Ambani’s, Adani’s, Birla’s etc., the Modi government is going ahead to convert the ordinance on Land Acquisition into an Act, during the budget session of the Parliament. As per the amendments, the Modi government has diluted the Land Acquisition Act by taking away the right of farmers to sell their lands as per their will. Under the proposed new act, corporate houses and the government need not have the consent of the farmers before acquiring their agricultural lands.”
Khaira recalled that although, the nefarious move of the then Modi led Gujarat government, to forcibly evict 50,000 Sikh farmer families from the Kutch region was enough to bring out the anti farmer face of Mr. Modi and the BJP. But unfortunately the farmers fell prey to the wily machinations of the BJP and voted it to power at the centre.
Khaira warned the BJP government not to implement its hidden agenda to marginalize the farmers of the country, at the cost of corporate houses and rich business community. He said that the Congress will oppose tooth and nail any move of Mr. Modi to either dilute the Land Acquisition Act or dismantling of the FCI and the MSP system.
The Congress leader also chided the Akali Dal and the BJP for going back on their poll promise to implement the Dr. Swaminathan Committee report and demanded a public apology from them for misleading and hoodwinking the farmers for cheap political gains
