PPCC president Navjot Singh Sidhu on Sunday wrote to the Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh about the demands of Farmer organisations and requested action on them. Sidhu in the letter said, “This is to bring to your attention and request for necessary action, upon the demands raised by 32 Farmer Unions at the meeting called by them with Congress Party on 10 September 2021 in Chandigarh.”
He mentioned, “Firstly, they demand the cancellation of unjust and unfair FIRs registered against the Farmer Unions due to cases of violence during the agitation in the State. Congress Party has supported the Farmers in every endeavour since the beginning of the agitation and our Govt has facilitated the protesting Farmers by providing maximum support to their Protests against the three Laws and for the legalisation of MSP. Yet, some FIRs have been registered due to untoward incidences and Govt could set up a mechanism to consider each case on compassionate grounds and cancelling of all unfair cases.”
He further said, “Secondly, Farmers fear the demand for Land Records – ‘Fard’, to demarcate details of land ownership before procurement as ordered by the Central Govt is unjust, and I personally believe it is unfair and against large number of farmers who are sowing crops by taking land on lease, and due to ‘Sanjha Mushtarkha Khata’ with No clear land ownership as for decades partition of land has not happened in many parts of our state.”
He continued saying, “While many owners of land are now living abroad. This is also an attack on the resilient system of procurement by MSP through Arthiyas and to push the Farmers away from APMC Mandis towards Private Markets where No such Records are being demanded. Thus, I strongly feel that the Central Govt is actually creating ‘One Nation, Two Markets’ with different rules for APMC and Private Markets. This injustice we must fight against !”
Sidhu said, “I write to you with consideration for the work Punjab Congress has already done for Agriculture and our commitment to do much more. Punjab State has allocated 10.9% of its Budget expenditure for Agriculture in 2021–22 with 30% year on increase, which is much higher than average allocation by other States at 6.3%. With 7181 Crore to be sent on Power Subsidy for Agriculture in one year. We have waived of 5,810 Crore of Farmer loans since 2017 and most recently 520 Crore of loans of Farm Labour and Landless Farmers. Noting the efficiency of Govt procurement done by the Congress Govt. Congress workers and leaders have stood by the Farmer agitation at every stage of the Protest. Yet, We must do more, standing firmer on our resolution passed in Vidhan Sabha in October 2020, We should not let the three farm laws be implemented in our state at any cost !”
PPCC president concluded saying, “The victory against the three laws will take us back to June 2020, while the deeper economic crisis of Punjab Agriculture incumbent upon will remain as it is. We must take steps ahead from the Farmer agitation’s fight against these laws to do more and present the vision for Punjab agriculture, to increase Punjab’s farmers income using every resource and power we have as a state to stand with the Farmers. We must begin procurement of dals and oilseeds through State Corporations as MSP is announced upon them by CACP. Further, Invest in Diversification with giving MSP on more Crops, giving storage capacity in hands of Farmers and strengthening Farmer’s financial capabilities through Cooperatives and forward linkages to trade without dependence on Corporates. This Vision I have been continuously presenting since September 2020 !”
