Left parties pitch for rescinding of Ordinances related to farm sector

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 4

The CPI(M) and the CPI on Thursday pitched for rescinding of the three Ordinances approved by the Union Government on Wednesday, saying the issue related to agriculture is a “state subject” and the Centre cannot administer regarding it “unilaterally”.

Opposing the implementation of the Ordinances, the Left parties said that they must come into force only after being considered and legislated upon by the Parliament following scrutiny by the Standing Committee on Agriculture.

"The Ordinances are anti-farmer and have been pushed in by the Union Government at a time when there is agrarian distress on account of lockdown due to Covid pandemic," said CPI chief D Raja.

Also read: Cabinet approves amendment to Essential Commodities Act

The Union Cabinet had on Wednesday approved ‘The Farming Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020’ and ‘The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020', besides making amendment to the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

"Even if the Parliament considers and legislates on it, this must be subject to the approval of the state legislatures and cannot be unilaterally imposed by the Centre," stated the CPI(M).

The Left parties said the proposed amendments to the Essential Commodities Act removes all regulations over the pricing and availability of key agricultural commodities essential for the country’s food security. 

"These proposals pave the way to create artificial shortages due to speculation by middlemen and traders, adversely affecting the country’s food security," they said.

The Left parties’ concern is that these amendments open vistas for contract farming by promoting trade and commerce outside the premises or markets covered under the Agricultural Produce Market Committees (mandis).