Staff Reporter
Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar today reiterated the government’s stand on the three farm laws saying the laws are beneficial and are in favour of farmers.
Talking to media outside Parliament, Mr Tomar said, the government had discussions about these laws with the farmers’ organizations.
He said, if they express their issues with the laws point-wise, the government can discuss it.
“Country has witnessed that these farm laws are beneficial and are in favour of farmers. We have had discussions about these laws. If they express their issues with the laws point-wise, we can discuss it,” Tomar said.
The minister’s statement came even as about 200 farmers reached Jantar Mantar to hold protest against the three Central farm laws passed last year.
The issue of farm laws also reverberated in both the Houses of Parliament. While the Shiromani Akali Dal demanded a discussion in Rajya Sabha, Rahul Gandhi led other Congress MPs in protest near the Mahatma Gandhi statue inside the Parliament premises.
Thousands of farmers from across the country have been agitating at three Delhi border points – Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur – against the three farm laws that they claim will do away with the minimum support price system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporations.
Over 10 rounds of talks with the government, which has been projecting the laws at major agricultural reforms, have failed to break the deadlock between the two parties.
Farm union condemn statement of Agriculture Minister Tomar
Meanwhile Farm union leaders have condemned the statement of Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar in Parliament that the Centre had no official record of farmers who died during the agitation and therefore, there was no provision to provide compensation to the families of the deceased.
Shingara Singh Mann, president of the BKU (Ekta Ugrahan), said, “It is an utterly irresponsible, unfounded and at the same time ludicrous statement by Tomar. We vehemently condemn it. Who else is suppose to keep a record of deaths of farmers during the agitation if not the government? More than 580 farmers have died during the agitation to date.”
“While there are relief packages and subsidies for big corporate houses, the government has treated farmers as if they are enemies,” he said.
Amarjit Honey, president of the Kirti Kisan Union, said, “The minister not only lied but also misled Parliament. The postmortem reports of farmers who died during the agitation are available in various government hospitals. The agitation will continue till the three laws are repealed.” Another farm leader Balkaran Ball of the Punjab Kisan Union said, “The government has no sympathy for farmers in the country.”