What are 3 bills & Why farmers are protesting?

Post-independence Green revolution brought huge spike in agriculture produce especially in North India(Punjab,Haryana and UP).But the problem of farmer exploitation by traders still prevailed. In response to this, State govt came out with APMC(Mandi System) Act to provide the platform for the farmers to sell their produce.

License system for commission agents(Artihyas) and traders which build the confidence of farmers in System. It ensures the payment of farmer produce.

Issues with APMCs:

·        Commission Agents rather then facilitating the farmers, Helps the traders to buy the produce at lower price by pointing out the defects.

·        High Margin of Commission Agents.

·        Debt trap(High interest money landing for input cost)

 Government Solution by Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020

·        It will allow the traders(PAN Card Holder) and farmers to trade the produce outside the APMC.

        Analysis:

·        It will weaken the APMC System.

·        Huge blow to Farmer converted Aartihyas(Agents).

·        Reduce the govt revenue from market fee.

·        Payment security risk of farmers.

·        Due to huge supply of produce at time of harvest and low demand, prices of crop will fall drastically

o   MSP must be stand to rescue farmer.

o   Storage house should be build by govt for farmer produce.

o   If above things implemented then only farmer can get advantage of bill otherwise it is only going to help the Reliance and Adani groups which are building the Agriculture logistics houses.

  

The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020 is introduced to facilitate the Contract Farming(A contract will be signed between trader/exporter/food processer and farmer before the crop sowing).

           Analysis:

o         It is going to help only those farmers which has large chunk of land with them.

o        Small farmers by associating with panchayat must form cooperative societies so that they can contract with the party and have negotiation in their favour.

The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 will allow the farmers, traders and other entities to store the produce without any cap.

Why farmers only from Haryana ,Punjab and Western UP are protesting:

o   Only 6% farmers in India are able to sell their produce at MSP(Mostly from these states).

o   All states have organised APMCs.

o   Bhariya Kisan Sangh and Congress are strong in this region.

o   Mostly Aarithis(Commission Agents) are converted farmers who now engaged in APMCs

 

All these bills are not outrightly against the farmers but government needs to bring awareness and assurance of MSP.As the bills passed from the both houses let’s see whether these will bring same changes as in 1991 LPG reforms.  

Time for Zirakpur to look back to those who build it

Time for Zirakpur to look back to those who build it

Need of Political Representative to raise it to regime, Media to cover and Locals to Contribute

             

It has been almost a month of nationwide lockdown which has halted all the economic activity in order to contain the virus by implementing the social distancing norms. While the virus has demonstrated the enormous value of Health Care Workers it has also show the pivotal role of migrant workers.

Scale of Impact 

City which grows due to its location and being the residence of much able well packed population and migrants including daily wage workers. It has some well-known real estate groups which are constructing sky high building with the help of these migrant workers. Currently around 500 of major construction sites of known groups and non known being developed which employees around thousands daily wage labourers who works with the local Plumbers ,Carpenters ,Painters, Electricians etc. During this time of pandemic they don’t have enough resources to feed and provide basic health care to their family. Some of them have food single time a day i.e also with the help of Gurdwaras and NGOs. State role is negligible in feeding them.

No Other Option

Surely, they were entirely just in asking why Indians stranded abroad were flown back in special planes or middle­class students brought back to their hometowns from coaching centers in Kota, Rajasthan, but no such arrangements were made for them? Why this differential treatment? Are they not citizens of the same country? Are they any less Indian? 

Way Forward

Gurudwaras and non­governmental organisations may complement its efforts to feed the hungry, but it remains the prime duty of the state to do so. Till the time elected representative has done well as leader by putting the langer on bord for those who are hungry, asking the organisations to come forward and contribute but as a political representative he must raise it to state with media which is equally responsible.