INDIA

Punjab’s Contract Farming Law Has Provision To Jail Farmers: Tomar

Mumbai: Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that the contract farming act of the Punjab government provides for sending farmers up to Rs 5 lakh for bars and fines, whereas under the Government of India Act, farmers can opt-out of the contract at any time.

“The Punjab Contract Farming Act carries a fine of up to five lakh rupees for jail and fine to the farmer. In the Act made by the Government of India, the farmer can come out of contract farming at any time,” Tomar said in the Rajya Sabha yesterday.

“For two months I kept asking the farmers union what is ‘black’ in these laws? Tell me if it should be fixed. Opposition leaders criticized agrarian reform. But nobody tried to say that How are they hurting farmers?” he added.

Also Read: Farmers’ Chakka Jam: Extensive Barricading At Delhi Borders, Drones, High Alert

At house yesterday, Tomar also assured that the Rs 1 lakh crore agricultural infrastructure fund has been made available under the self-sufficient package and the Center has tried to ensure that the necessary investments reach the agricultural sector.

“We have started providing 50 per cent more MSP than the cost of production. In addition, Rs 1 lakh crore of agricultural infrastructure funds has been given under the self-sufficient package. We have tried to ensure the requisite investment reaches the agriculture sector,” said Tomar in Rajya Sabha.

Tomar said that the poor-poor schemes of the government have changed the lives of the people living in the villages.

Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 last year against the three newly enacted farm laws: Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

(With ANI Inputs) 

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