YSRC backs farm bills, lashes out at Congress

The YSRC also mentioned the steps it took in AP to bail farmers out of the agrarian crisis, and wanted other states to implement them.
Ruckus erupts in the Rajya Sabha as Opposition rushes to Well of House over agriculture related bills during the ongoing Monsoon Session at Parliament House in New Delhi. (Photo | PTI)
Ruckus erupts in the Rajya Sabha as Opposition rushes to Well of House over agriculture related bills during the ongoing Monsoon Session at Parliament House in New Delhi. (Photo | PTI)

VIJAYAWADA: Supporting the farm bills brought by the Centre, the YSRC on Sunday made critical remarks against the Congress for supporting the dalal (middlemen) system by opposing the bill, which aims at easing restrictions on inter-state trade of agricultural products, which the Congress included in its manifesto ahead of the elections.

“Is it not hypocrisy? Their objective is only one. The Congress is a party of middlemen dalals. Those who are supporting the bill are pro-farmer and those not supporting it are pro-dalal,” YSRC MP V Vijayasai Reddy said, sparking protests from Congress members, who wanted the comment to be withdrawn.

The YSRC also mentioned the steps it took in AP to bail farmers out of the agrarian crisis, and wanted other states to implement them.Vijayasai Reddy targeted the Congress right from the moment he got a chance to take part in the discussion. Gesturing towards the Congress side, he said, “The previous framework (by the Congress government) left farmers at the mercy of middlemen who want to increase their margins.”

Pointing out the positive aspects of the bill, Vijayasai Reddy said a farmer who toils day and night faces two problems — getting the right price for his produce, and having the ability to sell it at a reasonable price. “By allowing contract farming, a farmer is assured of the sale price for his produce at a pre-determined price and the risk is transferred from the farmer to the buyer. The bill will also free farmers from coercion of licensed middlemen as farmers are forced to sell their produce to those (in the previous framework) who found it easy to form a cartel and offer low prices to farmers.”

The MP said that through the new bill, the Agricultural Product Market Committee (APMC) monopoly will end. “A farmer in a market area is compelled to sell his produce in a designated APMC and is prohibited from going to the APMC in the next district,” Vijayasai said, and added that the bill would end this. However, he also wanted the Centre to cover tobacco in the bill.

Stating that the ‘R’ in YSRC stands for rythu (farmers), the MP said the AP government took historical decisions to save the interests of farmers. “Under the Rythu Bharosa PM Kisan Scheme, 49 lakh, or about 10 per cent of the population of the state, is getting financial assistance of `13,500, which is higher than in any other State,” the MP said.

Targetting the “hypocrisy” of the Congress, Vijayasai Reddy, showing the party’s manifesto, referred to items numbered 11 and 12 related to agriculture farmers and farm labourers. “What did they say and why are they changing their stand now? Item 11 speaks about repealing the APMC Act and making trade in agriculture produce, including export and inter-state trade, free from all restrictions. Secondly, they promised to establish farmer markets with adequate infrastructure and support in large villages. This is exactly what the government is doing now,” he explained. The Congress demanded that the Chair expunge the remarks and sought an apology from the MP.

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