RAMANATHAPURAM/MADURAI: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday said that an explanation would be sought from AIADMK’s Rajya Sabha MP SR Balasubramoniyan for his recent remarks, criticising the Farm Bills that were supported by the party in Parliament.
Addressing reporters at Ramanathapuram collectorate, the CM affirmed that the government is firm on opposing any anti-farmer policies and that it is supporting the three Farm Bills – Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill 2020, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance, and Farm Services Bill 2020 and Essential Commodities Amendment Bill – because they are beneficial to farmers.
A day after AIADMK’s Lok Sabha MP OP Raveendranath Kumar supported the Bills in the Parliament, the party’s senior Rajya Sabha MP SR Balasubramoniyan, during a discussion over the Bills on Sunday, criticised the Centre for the urgency shown in passing the Bills and said that they would rob the rights of the States. However, Balasubramoniyan voted in favour of the Bills. He later said that he supported the Bills as per the instruction given to AIADMK MPs by the party headquarters.
When asked if AIADMK would take VK Sasikala into the party again if she offers an olive branch and a merger deal after her release from prison, the Chief Minister declined to comment. Later, talking to media persons at Madurai airport, Palaniswami said that the Farm Bills would not cause any adverse impact on the livelihood of farmers.
“The Bills will help decrease the transaction cost and would help the farmers get good price for their produce. Since they facilitate procurement of the produce at the places of cultivation itself, loading charges and transport costs could be avoided. The opposition’s claims that the Bills are against Uzhavar Sandhai scheme is just a propaganda.
The Bills do not impose any restrictions on the functioning of Uzhavar Sandhai,” he said. Taking a dig at Opposition Leader MK Stalin, the Chief Minister said that he opposes the Bills blindly and is unaware of the clauses of the Bills. “As a farmer myself, I am certain that these Bills are not detrimental to the welfare of farmers,” he added.
MP’s remarks on Bills
AIADMK’s Rajya Sabha MP SR Balasubramoniam, during a discussion over the Bills on Sunday, had criticised the Centre for the urgency shown in passing the Bills and said that they would rob the rights of the States.