Union Ministers reach out to Punjab farmers over new farm laws
Oct 13, 2020
New Delhi [India], October 13 : As part of efforts to reach out to farmers in Punjab to explain benefits of agriculture laws and counter opposition criticism, union ministers are holding press conferences and interactions covering various districts of Punjab that will continue over the next seven days.
As part of the initiative, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri today held a video conference with journalists and people related to agriculture from Punjab's Tarn Taran and Amritsar districts.
He alleged that some people have been "spreading lies, fake propaganda and inciting the farmers" against the government by calling the new agriculture laws "anti-farmers".
He talked about the benefits of the laws for the farmers and the farm sector.
During the press conferences, the ministers will speak to journalists, agricultural scientists, and prominent people associated with agriculture through video conference from party headquarters.
Union Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary will hold a video conference with journalists and agriculture specialists from Sangrur and Barnala on Wednesday.
In the subsequent days, Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani will do a digital press conference with journalists from Faridkot, Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur from Moga and Ludhiana, Minister of State for Animal Husbandry Sanjeev Balyan from Fatehgarh Sahib and Patiala, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Som Parkash from Gurdaspur and Pathankot, Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat from Abohar and Firozpur and Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region Jitendra Singh from in Mohali.
The government has enacted Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020 after the passage of the bills in the monsoon session of parliament.
Opposition parties have been opposing the laws. BJP's ally Shiromani Akali Dal quit the union ministry and the ruling NDA over the agriculture laws.
