Chandigarh, 25 February (HS): A resolution has been passed in the Punjab Assembly cancelling the draft of the National Agricultural Marketing Policy, calling it anti-farmer. During the debate on this issue, the Chief Minister described this draft as completely against the interests of the state. Congress accused the BJP of being anti-Punjab.

On Tuesday, State Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian introduced the proposal to cancel the draft of the National Agricultural Marketing Policy in the Assembly. Later, while responding to the debate in the House, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that the state government has already strongly opposed this draft by sending a written reply to the Central Government. He said that the state government has completely canceled this draft because it is completely against the interests of the state.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that though the Prime Minister boasts a lot about the initiatives taken by his government for the farmers, at heart he and his government have a hostile attitude towards the farmers, especially the farmers of Punjab. The Chief Minister said that due to this thinking, the Prime Minister did not announce the minimum support price for the farmers, even though he had promised the same to the farmers. He said that the Central Government is treating the state step-motherly because the farmers of Punjab had led a big movement against the three agricultural laws, after which the Central Government was forced to bow down.

In the House, the Chief Minister said that according to the Constitution, agricultural marketing is a state subject. The Constitution makers of that time had realized that agricultural activities depend on the geographical conditions of different areas and the situation of every state is different as the states are in a better position to understand their crop cycle, state of marketing structure and local needs. This ensures that agricultural policies can be made based on the needs, conditions and challenges of the state. Through this policy, an attempt is being made by the Central Government to capture the rights of the states.

The Chief Minister said that the National Agricultural Marketing Policy is an attempt to reintroduce the controversial provisions of the three farm laws that were repealed by the Government of India in 2021 after prolonged protests by farmers. He said that agricultural marketing is a state subject as per the Indian Constitution, so instead of bringing any such policy, the Government of India should leave the matter to the understanding of the state to formulate appropriate policies on this subject as per the need.

Earlier during the debate, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Pratap Singh Bajwa said that when the agricultural laws came, he had already warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi that these laws are not in the interest of farmers and will prove to be a death warrant for them. Bajwa said that farmers opened a front against these laws, in which more than 700 farmers died. After this the government had to withdraw the laws. He described the BJP as anti-Punjab and said that the BJP is conspiring to weaken Punjab politically and economically. He alleged that the central government has withheld Rs 8,000 crore of Punjab.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar