Centre trying to bring in farm laws via back door, says Congress

The Congress alleged on Thursday that the Modi government is trying to bring back the repealed farm laws through the back door. The opposition party also backed the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) resolve to resume protests against what it called the refusal of the Centre to implement the demands of the farmers, including the promises made to them during the year-long agitation about setting up a committee on minimum support prices (MSP), withdrawing cases against farmers and recalling the Electricity Amendment Bill.

At the All India Congress Committee briefing, spokesman Deepender Singh Hooda cited the recent call from within the NITI Aayog, through its member Ramesh Chand, for ending farm procurement and replacing it with deficiency price payments as the signal of the government's intention at a time when it has "not acted" on its promise to farmers on legally safeguarding MSP.

"Despite a consensus on agriculture across all ideologies, the government is still attempting to help its billionaire friends by bringing in the farm bills via the back door. The NITI Aayog has once again called for ending farm procurement and replacing it with deficiency price payments," said Hooda.


Alleging more anti-farmers steps by the government, Hooda said the recent imposition of goods and services tax (GST) on unbranded, pre-packaged puffed rice, wheat flour and buttermilk will raise prices amid surging inflation and that the increases in GST rates on agricultural warehousing, dairy, poultry and horticulture machinery will also make food products more expensive.

Hooda said the BJP government's "irrational agricultural trade policy is also endangering Indian food security". Citing the recent policy flip-flop on the issue of wheat exports, he said "after many years of urging Indian states to reduce the area under paddy", the food and consumer affairs "is now desperately urging states to increase paddy production".