Procurement of rabi crops begin on October 1 every year.
New Delhi:
Procurement of winter rice and paddy will begin two days ahead of time, the government said today in a signal to agitated farmers, who held a countrywide protest against the new farm laws today, backed by the opposition Congress. The usual date of procurement is October 1 across the country. A note from the government said, “This would ensure that farmers are facilitated in selling their produce at Minimum Support Price (MSP) expeditiously”.
The move is in line with the government’s efforts to reassure farmers, who have escalated their dissent against the farm laws that were enacted yesterday.
Earlier, the government had advanced the procurement dates in Punjab and Haryana — the two states where the farmers’ agitation is most intense — by five days.
The Minimum Support Prices, too, were announced a month earlier this year amid farmers’ concerns that it will be scrapped once the new laws come into effect. The prices were hiked too, especially for wheat, lentils and mustard — the big crops in Punjab and Haryana.
Most farmers’ organisations, however, viewed that move with deep distrust.
Gurnam Singh, a leader of farmer’s organization “Bharatiya Kisan Union”, called the move a “conspiracy” by the Centre to end the farmers’ agitation. Most organisations also said the hike was too little to make a difference.
The Congress, which has been backing the farmers’ protest, today spoke of over-ruling the Centre’s laws in the states it rules. Party chief Sonia Gandhi asked Congress-ruled states to consider bringing laws to that effect.
“Hon’ble Congress President has advised the Congress-ruled states to explore the possibilities to pass laws in their states under Article 254(2) of the constitution which allows the state legislatures to pass a law to negate the anti-agriculture central laws encroaching upon state’s jurisdiction under the constitution,” the Congress said in a statement.
