Raipur: September 18, 2020. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has said that one nation-one market ordinance of the central government is not in the interest of farmers. This will end the structure of the market, which is not beneficial for both farmers and traders. Most farmers are small marginal, this will increase exploitation of farmers. They do not have enough capacity to sell the produce outside the state. Farmers will not get the minimum support price for their produce. The Chief Minister further said that due to the amendments made in the Essential Commodities Act by the Central Government, there will be difficulty in taking action against the storage of essential commodities and increasing the price. Private companies will benefit from contract farming. With the entry of private sector in cooperatives, multinational companies, big industrialists will take over cooperative institutions and farmers will be exploited.
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel was addressing the program with Chief Guest’s post after handing over development works worth Rs 332.64 crore to the Gorela-Pendra-Marwahi district through video conferencing from his residence office today. On this occasion, the function was chaired by the Speaker, Dr. Charan Das Mahant. All the ministers, Lok Sabha MP Smt. Jyotsna Mahant and other people’s representatives participated in the program through video conferencing.
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that the protection and well-being of common people is the priority of our government. We have inherited this inspiration. Following the policies and ideals of the country’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, the Government of Chhattisgarh is working for the betterment of the poor, laborers, farmers and tribals. He said that during the Corona disaster, the Chhattisgarh government has given direct assistance of Rs 70 thousand crore to the people through its public welfare programs and schemes.
The Chief Minister further said that today the country and the world are struggling with the Corona crisis. The national governments of many countries have achieved good success in the control of the disease with a sympathetic attitude towards the farmers, the poor and disaster victims. But the way our country has done demonetisation, GST and lockdown by the way of surgical strikes, it has continuously worsened and the mixed effect has emerged as a national disaster in the Corona era. If the central government had a constructive and sympathetic attitude, the country would not have had to look at the days like today. The Chief Minister said that due to the constructive approach taken by the Chhattisgarh Government during the Corona period, we farmers, laborers, poor, villagers, forest dependents have been given 70 thousand crore rupees. Was able to help He said that I feel sad that even in this crisis, an attempt is made to forget the contribution of our forefathers, who made the country self-reliant with their right thinking and right leadership.
The Chief Minister said that when the country became independent, the condition of agriculture and farmers in the country was very bad. A campaign to make the country standing in a state of starvation was self-sufficient. First Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru enacted the Essential Commodities Act 1955, which prohibited hoarding and black marketing. Under Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, the Agricultural Price Commission was constituted to determine the minimum support price for major crops. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi transformed India’s traditional agriculture into a “Green Revolution”. He also nationalized banks to open bank gates for farmers.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister referred to the Agricultural Produce Marking (Regulation) Act in the 1970s, under which Agricultural Marketing Committees were formed to provide farmers a remunerative price for their products. The purpose of these committees was to protect farmers from market uncertainties and prevent their exploitation. Market committees were formed by this act. In these mandis, the farmers get the right price for their produce. The farmers choose their representatives, who manage the mandi committee.
The Chief Minister further said that today the Central Government has brought four ordinances for the exploitation of farmers, considering the time of worldwide corona crisis as a good opportunity. Under which the Act has been amended under One Nation – One Market. In this, farmers are allowed to sell their produce in any part of the country. In this, farmers and traders will not have to pay tax outside the state mandi for the sale and sale of produce, that is, the mandate of buying and selling crops in the mandi will be eliminated and private mandis will be encouraged.
The Chief Minister said that likewise amendment in Essential Commodities Act 1955, production and sale of fertilizers have been deregulated. It has been decided to remove the stock limit from products like oilseeds, pulses, potatoes, onions. Provision has been made to allow private equity in contract farming and cooperative banks. The Chief Minister said that it is our clear opinion that the ordinance brought by the Central Government in the time of Corona disaster will have a very bad effect.
The Chief Minister said that we will strongly oppose the anti-farmer laws of the Central Government. He said that two models are clear in front of the country today, that the Chhattisgarhi model, which carries all the faith through public service in the disaster, and the central government’s model, which considers the opportunity to arbitrate the disaster. He said that we have faith in our Chhattisgarhi model, which has given a new dimension to the development of the newly formed district Gorella-Pendra-Marwahi along with direct help to the needy in times of disaster.
