BENGALURU: Former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy severely criticised Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Tuesday for seeking to dilute critical sections of the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act, and turning it into a “farmer-unfriendly Act” through an ordinance. He also criticised the move to dilute labour laws, and said he would write to the governor regarding this.
Kumaraswamy alleged that the government was, by admission of the APMC minister himself, set to lose Rs 600 crore because of the proposed dilution. The dilution would allow farmers to sell their produce without bringing it to APMCs.
Kumaraswamy said that Yediyurappa should not seek to satisfy the “haves” who were dictating unfriendly norms. He produced a statement from the APMC minister, who said that this ordinance was being planned on the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Kumaraswamy mocked the state government’s Rs 1600-plus crore Covid package, and said relief of Rs 25,000 to flower growers was “insensitive”. The government should provide Rs 5,000 per worker to tide over the situation. He also flayed the 12-hour work proposal, and said the government should discuss this in the House rather than bring in an ordinance on these issues.