Punjab CM calls all-party meet on June 24 on Centre's farm ordinances

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has called an all-party meeting on June 24 to evolve a consensus on the Central Government's agriculture-related ordinances.

Based on the meeting consensus, a letter would be sent to the Government of India demanding immediate roll-back of the Ordinances, CM Captain said.

He said that the ordinances were totally unacceptable to the state as they were against the interests of the farmers and could spell the end of the MSP regime.

At the 7th edition of his #AskCaptain Facebook Live programme, the Chief Minister called for an urgent review of the anti-farmer Ordinances issued by the Central Government.

"These ordinances could not only pave the way for ending the MSP support to farmers but also render the Mandi Boards ineffective. Union government's move to end the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) monopoly through an ordinance, will result in huge losses to the Mandi Board, which currently earns Rs 3500 to 3,600 crores annually in the form of market fee and rural development fund (RDF)," Captain said as per an official release of the Punjab Government.

He said any decline in these collections would adversely affect development in rural areas as this money is spent by the board for improvement of roads, link roads and other infrastructure projects, aimed at improving the lives of Punjab's farmers.

Captain Amarinder had earlier this week, written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking reconsideration of the three Ordinances - for permitting trade in agricultural produce outside the physical boundaries of the set-up of the agricultural market under APMC Act, easing of restrictions under the Essential Commodities Act, and facilitating Contract Farming.

( With inputs from ANI )