BENGALURU: As farmers in the state are apprehensive about amendments made to the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa will on Friday meet farmers to address their concerns, even as the BJP government at the Centre is still locked in a standoff with farmers who are protesting against the new farm laws.
In the ‘Krishi Samman Scheme’ Day, organised on the occasion of former Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birth anniversary, the chief minister will meet farmers at the APMC Market in Yashwanthpur and has reportedly planned to convince farmers about the necessity of amendments to the Act.
“The chief minister will explain to the farmers how the amendment will benefit them and there is nothing to worry about the changes made. He will tell them why the amendment was needed and how it was introduced with the concept of ‘my yield, my right’.
He will also convince them that APMCs won’t be shut down as claimed by opposition parties and it will the right of the farmers to sell their produces wherever they wish to, including APMCs. Besides, he will also discuss various welfare schemes introduced by the government for the farming community,” a source said.
The amendment to the APMC Act was passed in both the legislative Houses, amidst a walkout by Congress legislators. There were widespread protests against the amendment by farmer organisations in the state. The Congress had termed the Bill the ‘last nail on the coffin of farmers’ and had supported the protests organised by farmer organisations.
CM to participate in Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman event
After meeting the farmers, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa will take part in the ‘Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman’ virtual event, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take part. Modi will digitally deposit a total of Rs 18,000 crore into the bank accounts of nine crore farmers, under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi’ scheme.