"For me, farmers come first. I will never allow them to suffer or bring laws that might harm them," said Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday defending his decision to repromulgate an ordinance to amend the Agricultural Produces Marketing Committee (APMC) laws.
Amid strong opposition from the opposition parties and some farmers groups who cautioned against the "dilution" of the APMC laws, Yediyurappa asserted that the amendment would not dilute the powers or the work of the APMCs. Instead, it would help the farmers get remunerative prices for their produce, he contended.
"We have not removed the APMC Act, but are only amending two sections of the APMC Act, which enable farmers to sell their produce in a free market. Many times, we see farmers resorting to distress sale of commodities due to price crashes. The amendment will allow the farmer to sell his produce at a market of his choice. It provides an opportunity to the farmers to sell their produce directly to any purchaser outside the APMC yards or in other APMCs," explained Yediyurappa, adding that the marketing activities will be monitored by the director of state APMC to prevent exploitation.
Reminding the farmers that the amendment would indirectly help farmers in doubling their income by 2022, which in fact is also the PM’s dream, Yediyurappa said, "Many are misleading the farmers on this issue. But I assure you that as I have been sworn in as the CM in the name of farmers, I will not stick to my chair if their interests are compromised," said Yediyurappa.
Former Prime Minister H.D. Devegowda has demanded that the ordinance be withdrawn saying that the amendment to the act without seeking the opinion of the farming community was wrong. "The government's sudden decision to amend APMC will lead to the exploitation of the farmers in the hands of MNCs and capitalists. The APMC is meant to protect the interest of the farmer and keep him out of the clutches of the middlemen," tweeted Gowda, who was upset that the amendment bill was not tabled in the assembly for wider debate.