The Legislative Assembly on Saturday adopted the Karnataka Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation and Development) (Amendment) Bill, 2020, that seeks to permit farmers to sell their produce outside the APMC, amidst walkout by the Opposition Congress and Janata Dal (S).
While Cooperation Minister S.T. Somashekhar maintained that the Bill was brought to help farmers by relieving them from the clutches of middlemen, Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah described the APMC Bill as “anti-farmer” and expressed concern that it would sound the death knell for farmers
He alleged that the APMC amendment was being pushed by the Centre rather than farmers. Reading out a letter written to the State government by the office of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah and a senior Central official asking for amending the APMC Act, he said the Centre was under pressure from the MNCs and corporates to take up such an amendment.
Arguing that the Centre did not have powers under the Constitution to intervene with respect to APMCs that came under the State list, he urged the State government to desist from ‘succumbing’ to the Centre’s pressure.
Pointing out that the APMCs in the State had earned a revenue of ₹615 crore in the previous year, he wanted to know if the private players who would come to the fore after the implementation of the Act would provide this to the government.
Referring to the concept of minimum support prices, he wanted to know if such measures to protect farmers’ interest would continue in the new system.
Farmers would be at the mercy of private companies in the new system, he said. He cautioned the State government that it may meet a similar fate that befell on it with respect to GST combination if it “buckles under pressure” from the Centre to amend the APMC Act.
Tourism Minister C. T. Ravi launched a counter-attack on the Opposition by pointing out that the Congress had promised in its poll manifesto for 2019 Lok Sabha polls to scrap the APMC Act. He described the present opposition to the Bill by the Congress as double standards.
JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy pointed out that the farmers’ revolving fund that was used for market intervention scheme to help farmers during price crash situation was being run with the help of the APMC cess. He expressed concern that such a system may come to an end after the implementation of the new legislation.
“If you succumb to the pressure from the Centre, the federal structure would get destroyed. Also, the interests of farmers would be succumbed if you go ahead with the new legislation,” he cautioned. Instead of making a hasty decision, the government should consult various stakeholders, he suggested.
Allaying fears in this regard, Mr. Somashekhar said the MSP system would continue and the salaries of the APMC staff would be paid through the government.
Not satisfied with his reply the Opposition members staged a walkout.
