Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister claimed that the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 passed by the Parliament is a pro farmers Bill and would not only provide better marketing facilities to the farmers to sell their produce but also go a long way in achieving the target of Union Government to double the farmers income.
The Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, while interacting with media today, said that APMCs and Marketing Boards would continue to function as usual and grant in aid to develop market yards will also continue. He said that Bill would create additional trading opportunities outside the APMC market yards to help farmers in getting better prices. He said that it would also allow development of private Mandi infrastructure in the State besides improving market access for the farmers by farm gate sales/mandis.
Jai Ram Thakur said that after getting the consent of the President, the Act would help in introduction of new technologies in farm sector through private investment. He said that the buyers and investors who directly purchased farm produce from the farmers would not have to pay any market fee or cess. It will motivate reputed agri business, companies to purchase directly from the farm fields, he added.
Chief Minister said that focus would be on electronic mode of transactions which would help in meeting the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding ‘One Nation- One Market’. He said that it would usher in development of cold chain infrastructure in the State as licensing would be deregulated which would ensure ease of doing business and increase investment in agro processing sector.
While accusing the Congress leaders for misleading the people of the State on the issue, Chief Minister said that the Act would give price assurance of farm produce to the farmer at the time of sowing with better income options. He said that the farmers would be motivated to grow crops as per the demands of the market.
Jai Ram Thakur said that the Centre Government under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was committed for socio-economic upliftment of the farming community and has initiated several schemes for their betterment. He said that till date over Rs. 92000 crore have been directly transferred into the accounts of farmers under ‘Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojna.
