Bhattal flays Centre for ‘acting against farmers’ interests’
Monday, 23/02/2015
http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=125381&boxid=57974&uid=&dat=2015-02-23
Chandigarh : Former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal on Sunday criticised the Union government for what she alleged as “taking decisions contrary to the interests of farmers”.
She said that the Modi government before coming to power had promised in its election manifesto that it would take utmost care of the interests of farmers, including ensuring to provide a minimum of 50 per cent profit over the cost of production, cheaper agriculture inputs and credit according to the recommendations of the Swaminathan Committee.
“However, surprisingly Modi government, in its affidavit submitted before the Supreme Court in response to the public interest litigation (PIL) took a different stand that it would not be able to raise the minimum support price (MSP) for agricultural produce to be 50 per cent more than the cost of input,” she stated.
Bhattal said that few days back also, “Modi government was censured by Supreme Court for not for not paying compensation to poor farmers of Punjab. Supreme Court also remarked during the hearing on cases of land acquisition from Punjab that Centre is lavishly spending Rs 100 crore on Republic Day but does not way to pay rightful compensation to the farmers.”
She said that land acquisition ordinance promulgated by Modi government is “anti-farmer and impinges on the right of famers to preserve their land.”
She said that ordinance allows the land of farmers to be acquired for industrial purposes without their permission. She termed land acquisition ordinance as “absolute joke and humiliation for the farmers for whom land is means of their livelihood.”
