New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the new legislation passed by Parliament for the benefit of farmers have closed one more ‘source of black-money’ enjoyed by vested interests.
Reacting to the protests by farmers and various opposition parties against three new agriculture-related laws, he regretted that those burning farm equipment to show their anger were actually “insulting farmers” who worshipped these tools.
Inaugurating six projects under the “Namami Gange” scheme to treat sewage in Uttarakhand, he lambasted the opposition for misleading the farmers on the issue, a day after a group of Congress workers set a tractor on fire in New Delhi.
Those opposing the new farm laws now had actually favored implementing the Minimum Support Price (MSP) when they were in power but never did so.
“The NDA government has done so as per the recommendations of the MS Swaminathan Commission, Modi said, reiterating that the MSP would remain even as the farmers would get the freedom to sell their products anywhere they wished to and wherever they got a higher price.
“Some people are unable to swallow this freedom we have given to farmers as we have closed one more way for them to earn black-money.”
Seeking to allay fears over the new laws on the farming sector and labor reforms, he said, many reforms related to farmers, laborers, and health workers were brought during Parliament’s Monsoon Session this month.
Parliament had passed The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill.
After President Ram Nath Kovind gave assent to these, the Centre also issued a gazette notification on these on Sunday.
(VP)