Page 23 - NIS English October 1-15

New agricultural reforms have given the freedom to
for with clear timelines for redressal. This will
ensure that the farmer gets justice and gets it
without delay. All disputes have to be mandatorily
resolved within 30 days. In the event, the price of
produce goes up after the contract, the additional
benefits will be tranferred to farmers.
Freedom from Mandi Tax
Farmers had to pay Mandi Tax varying from 2
to 8.5 per cent with the highest being in Punjab.
But, with farmers now being allowed to sell their
produce outside the Mandi, they will be spared of
the tax burden which will add to their income.
Legal shield for farmers
Farmers, who had been subject to continuous
exploitation since Independence, have now been
freed from shackles for the first time. Under the
new laws, farmers have many options to sell their
produce.
The Prime Minister has described the passing of
these laws in Parliament as a watershed moment.
He said: “Some people who ruled this country for
decades are attempting to mislead the farmers
every farmer of the country to sell his crops, fruits
and vegetables to anyone, anywhere. Now he has got
many more options besides the Mandi of his area.
Now if he gets more profit in the Mandis, then he will
go to the Mandi and sell his crops. If he gets more
money elsewhere, then he will go there and sell. Now
he is free from any kind of compulsion
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
on this issue. They are supporting the middlemen
and the looters of the farmers' earnings. Lies
were being propagated that farmers will no longer
get the MSP. The government was committed
to providing fair prices to farmers through MSP
and the Government procurement will continue
as before.” He added, “With the new provisions
coming into force, farmers can sell their crop at
their desired price in any market of the country;
this is a historic move.”
With these legal shields, the intention of the
Government is clear that the 21st Century farmer
of the country will be free from any restrictions
in agriculture activities, movement and selling
of their produce. The Prime Minister said: "For
decades, the Indian farmers were bound by various
constraints and bullied by middlemen. The Bills
passed by Parliament liberate the farmers from
such adversities. These Bills will add impetus to
the efforts to double the income of farmers and
ensure greater prosperity for them.”
This is one of the biggest initiatives towards
changing lives of farmers by giving them Kisan
Samman Nidhi. Under this scheme, farmers will
be transferred a total Rs 6,000 in a year in three
equal installments, so that they are not forced to
take loans. When the then government waived
off Rs 72,000 Crore loan of farmers in 2008, the
actual amount waived off added upto merely
Rs 52,000 Crore. But the present Government
transferred Rs 94,000 Crore in one-and-a-half
years to make farmers free from the debt. The
New India Samachar 21