Bhubaneswar: Protesting the new farm laws enacted by the Centre, the Congress kicked off its ‘Kheti Bachao Yatra’ in the state, Monday.
Hundreds of Congress workers led by party’s Odisha in-charge A Chellakumar held a rally from Congress Bhawan here to Cuttack. Senior leaders including OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik, MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati and Jatni MLA Suresh Routray joined the rally.
The agitators were, however, stopped midway near Gopalpur and not allowed to enter Cuttack as they had not taken the permission from the administration. Later, some vehicles were allowed to proceed towards Cuttack.
Former president of All India Congress Committee (AICC) Rahul Gandhi has started the historic ‘Kheti Bachao Yatra’ through public meetings in Punjab and Haryana by visiting the mandis against the anti-farmer laws passed by the Central government.
Terming the newly enacted three laws as anti-farmer, the Congress party is demanding immediate withdrawal of the laws.
“Both the BJP and BJD are exploiting the innocent farmers and common people of the country. The Congress will definitely explain and educate them on the negative impacts of the farm Bills,” Chellakumar said.
Stating that the Congress government had brought green and white revolutions in India to make it self-reliant, Chellakumar said, “Almost all major irrigation projects were constructed in Odisha during the regime of Congress government. It is unfortunate that the present government has not implemented a single irrigation project so far.”
OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik said, “If the state government has any sympathy for farmers, will it follow the Chhattisgarh government, which has raised the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy to Rs 2,500 per quintal?” Similarly, the agriculture Bills, which were passed in an undemocratic manner in Parliament, don’t have any provision of MSP, he said.
Replying to the charge by Congress, BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra said, “The BJD will oppose any move or Bill, which is against the interest of farmers.”
BJP general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan said the Congress party is misleading the people in the name of contract farming. But, people know the truth, he said.
During the monsoon session of Parliament, three new agriculture Bills were passed, before they got President Ram Nath Kovind’s assent September 27.
The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, seeks to give freedom to farmers to sell their produce outside of the notified Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) market yards.
The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, gives farmers the right to enter into a contract with agribusiness firms, processors, wholesalers, exporters, or large retailers for the sale of future farming produce at a pre-agreed price.
The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020, is meant to remove commodities like cereals, pulses, oilseeds, onion, and potato from the list of essential commodities and do away with the imposition of stock holding limits.