Farmers' body seeks withdrawal of standing committee's recommendation on implementing one of 3 farm laws

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Saturday sought the withdrawal of a parliamentary panel's recommendation asking the Centre to implement the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Saturday sought the withdrawal of a parliamentary panel's recommendation asking the Centre to implement the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020, one of the three agri laws against which the farmers have been protesting at Delhi borders for over 100 days.

The SKM, an umbrella body of over 40 farmers'' union leading the farmers'' agitation, alleged that the ECAA allows "unlimited private hoarding and black marketing".

Their remarks comes after a parliamentary panel asked the government to implement in "letter and spirit" the ECAA. This panel also has members from opposition parties including Congress, TMC and AAP. These parties have been demanding repeal of all three farm laws enacted by the Centre recently.

"It must not escape attention that the ECAA makes a wholly anti-poor recommendation that food, which is the most essential item for the survival of human beings, should be removed from the list of EC.

"It allows unlimited private hoarding and black marketing. It will lead to the winding up of the PDS facilities and structures," the SKM said in a statement.

It added that the implementation of the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act will "expose 75 crore beneficiaries to open market purchase of food requirements, promoting Corporate and MNCs in food markets".

In its report tabled in the Lok Sabha on March 19, the Standing Committee on Food chaired by TMC leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay recommended the government to "implement the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 in letter and spirit, and without let or hindrances so that the farmers and other stakeholders of farming sector in this country receive the benefits intended under the said Act".

The SKM said, "It is entirely disgraceful that many parties which have been claiming support to farmers agitation for repeal of three farm laws have voted for the implementation of the ECAA.

"This exposes a wider consensus amongst these parties on these laws. We appeal to the committee to withdraw these recommendations," it said.

The farmers'' body has called "Bharat Bandh" on March 26.

The Morcha, which held a meeting on Saturday, also decided that on 22 March, meetings of public organizations will be held at the district level across the country.

It was decided that during the ''Bharat Bandh'' on March 26, all services except emergency services will be inactive from 6 am to 6 pm, and road and rail transport will be blocked, the SKM said.

It said on March 28, copies of three agricultural laws will be burnt in ''Holika Dahan'' and on April 5, farmers will ''gherao'' offices of Food Corporation of India across the country from 11 am to 5 pm.