NEW DELHI: A parliamentary panel has endorsed the new Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act — one of three farm bills opposed mainly by farm unions from Punjab, Haryana and west UP — “in letter and spirit” and “without let or hindrances” to enable farmers and other stakeholders get benefits of the law.
Two members of the panel, including one who said he was not present when the report was adopted, said that they do not support the recommendation which comes as a shot in the arm for the government. A section of farm experts have argued that the relaxation of the stock limits benefits farmers as it will encourage setting up of storage and cold chains reducing the dependence on immediate sale after harvest.
Interestingly, the panel is headed by Trinamool Congress MP, Sudip Bandopadhyay who could not be contacted. Trinamool has opposed the farm laws and some of the union leaders like Rakesh Tikait are in fact campaigning for the party against the BJP. As per the committee report, the draft report was adopted at a meeting headed by acting chairman and a BJP MP, Ajay Misra. Misra could not be contacted for comments.
A day after the panel on food and consumer affairs ministry submitted the report “Price Rise of Essential Commodities – Causes and Effects” in Parliament, Congress MP Saptagiri Shankar Ulaka said he has dissociated himself from the report. In a letter addressed to the Lok Sabha Speaker, he has said he was not present in the meeting when the report was adopted and that the report was emailed to members on March 17 and barely 15 hours after adoption.
“It must also be noted that the committee did not seek oral evidence from a single farmers’ group or any independent expert before finalising the report. Therefore, it was highly irregular that such a report was circulated at a very short notice and without recording my dissenting opinion, was tabled in the Parliament,” he wrote.
Aam Aadmi Party MP Bhagwant Mann said he had opposed the law in every meeting of the standing committee. “Even in the last meeting which was chaired by Ajay Misra I had opposed. You can understand how such a report could be adopted when the BJP members have majority share in the panel. The law is against farmers and consumers and will only benefit the big corporates,” he told TOI.
Taking note of foodstuffs such as potato, onions and pulses are part of a common man’s daily diet and many may suffer adversely after the implementation of the new Act, the committee has also suggested the government to keep a vigil on the prices of all essential commodities and to resort to the remedial provisions provided in the Act.