Farm laws’ repeal setback to farmers, Niti Aayog member claims
Niti Aayog member Ramesh Chand claimed on Sunday that the repeal of the three farm laws had come as a “setback” to higher price realisation by farmers and could be a factor in achieving the goal of doubling farmers’ income by 2022.
He also suggested starting fresh consultations with the states for resuming the agriculture reform process, adding some people have already approached Niti Aayog with a call for effecting the reforms.
“You see, reforms are important for the agriculture sector. Some farmers were opposing it [farm laws]… I think immediately what needs to be done is restarting fresh consultations with the states,” Chand, who oversees farm policies at the government think tank, claimed.
“Already people are approaching us that reforms are needed. But in what way, in what form, in what shape, that I think we need to wait for some time,” he added.
Chand was replying to a question on whether the stalled reforms for India’s farm economy will get another push after BJP’s victory in four states – Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur – in the recently held assembly elections.
Asked if it was possible to double farmers’ income by 2022 without implementation of the three laws, he said reforms were needed to enable cultivators to get better prices, so if reforms are not happening, certainly that is a setback for higher price realisation by the farmers.
“So up to that extent there will be a setback to that goal [doubling farmers’ income by 2022],” he claimed.
The Narendra Modi-led NDA government has set a target of doubling farmers’ income by 2022.
The Centre on December 1, 2021, notified a legislation to repeal the three agriculture laws against which thousands of farmers had protested for over a year.
These three laws were: Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
