Mamata Banerjee attacks Modi govt over farm laws

By Tarak Sarkar
Siliguri (West-Bengal) [India], September 29 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday criticised the Central government for the recently enacted farm laws.
Addressing an administrative meeting with the officials of Malda, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri districts at Uttarkanya-Mini Secretariat near Siliguri, Banerjee alleged that the central government's decisions will ruin the lives of the farmers.
"Crops like potatoes, onions, rice, oil and others come under essential food items. But the central government has omitted everything in its agriculture bills (now laws)," she said.
Taking advantage of the laws, the middleman will come and take everything away from the farmers and they will not be able to consume their own produce, Banerjee claimed.
"The central government will give a chance for the middlemen to do black marketing. The farmers will have to be saved from them and that is why they are on the roads to oppose the acts. In this situation, we all need to make the people understand this matter," she said.
She directed officials of the state agriculture department to hold a meeting with the chief secretary to decide the future plans over the farm acts.
Mamata Banerjee will again address an administrative meeting tomorrow with the Darjeeling and Kalimpong district officials.
The parliament passed three farm bills and then President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent. They are The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Service Act, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
Congress, TMC and several other opposition parties have opposed the provisions of the farm laws.