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Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar defended the three farm laws in the Rajya Sabha on Friday and said the Centre does not play with the blood of farmers. He said the protesting farmers are being misled by vested interests.
Tomar said since Narendra Modi came to power, a number of measures have been taken for farmers. He said farmers can now use cold storages and other infrastructure facilities. Even the Railways is being used as cold storages to help farmers.
He said 21 lakh farmers have joined the pension scheme. He said the protesting farmers and the Opposition failed to make him understand the problems with the three farm laws. “They are calling these Acts black laws. What is black in these laws? I have been trying to know this from farmers and the opposition so that we can correct it. But none have told us about how these laws are against farmers,” he said.
Trade areas defined
He said under the new Acts, the trade areas have been defined. “There are taxes of States and Centre on APMCs. We have done away with the Central tax. State governments are still taking tax. The protests should be against State governments. But they are targeting the Centre,” he said.
Also read: Opposition MPs charge police of stopping them from meeting protesting farmers
He said the Centre tried to address the issues of protesting farmers with utmost transparency. “There are no problems with the three farm laws. But there are problems with the protesters. They are being misled by saying that their land will be taken away. There is not even a clause in the contract farming Act that suggests such an action. We don't play politics with the blood of farmers,” he said.
Contract farming
He said the amendments in the Contract Farming Act will help farmers get remuneration from traders for their efforts. He said contract farming Acts of Haryana and Punjab have provisions to send erring farmers to jail. “But the Act of the Centre protects the interests of farmers,” he said and added that the intention of the Centre is to bring transparency in food grains trade and ensure adequate remuneration for farmers.
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