Noida:
Amid protests against the new farm laws in parts of the country, BJP leaders Mahesh Sharma and Pankaj Singh here on Wednesday assured people that the legislations are pro-farmer. Sharma, a Lok Sabha MP from Gautam Buddh Nagar in western Uttar Pradesh, also slammed Opposition Congress for misleading the people over the new farm laws.
“The Congress is trying to create an illusion that the new laws will take away the safety net given to farmers through minimum support price (MSP), but the truth is that there will be no change in the MSP rule and the laws are to ensure better price to farmers for their crops,” the former Union minister said.
President Ram Nath Kovind recently gave his assent to the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, the Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, which were passed by Parliament last month. Farmers in Punjab, Haryana and several other states, including Uttar Pradesh, are protesting against the new farm laws, which they fear will lead to procurement in the hands of corporates and the end of the MSP regime.
Noida MLA Pankaj Singh said the new laws would also help realise the government’s objective to double the income of farmers and remove middlemen. “The government through these legislations wants to create a good atmosphere for farmers and give them the freedom to decide where they want to sell their crops with ease,” Singh, who is also the general secretary of the BJP’s Uttar Pradesh unit, said..
