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Punjab CM opposes DBT for farmers, writes to defer scheme for a year
The CM, who has also sought time from PM Narendra Modi for a meeting on the issue, sought his personal indulgence to issue directions to the ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution, Government of India, to defer the implementation of the scheme for at least one year
Strongly opposing the Direct Bank Transfer (DBT) scheme for farmers, Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said he had written a letter to the Prime Minister seeking early resolution of the matter in view of the upcoming rabi season.
The CM, who has also sought time from PM Narendra Modi for a meeting on the issue, sought his personal indulgence to issue appropriate directions to the ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution, Government of India, to defer the implementation of the scheme for at least one year.
The arhtiyas (commission agents) and farmers have long-standing relations, he pointed out, questioning the need to change the system when it was working very well. Around 50% farmers give their land on contract, so how will those who till the land get their money under DBT, the CM said at a media event.
In his letter, Amarinder drew the PM’s attention to the ministry’s directions, asking the Punjab government to ensure direct payment to farmers along with online submission of the details of land owners/ cultivators. Pointing to the age-old relationship that Punjab has between the arhtiyas, who are licensees under the Agriculture Produce Market Committee Act, 1961, and farmers, he noted that for the past many decades, the state procurement agencies and the Food Corporation of India (FCI) have been procuring foodgrains for the central pool.
The farmers have never complained of non-receipt of payment of the MSP, and the state government is ensuring online payment to farmers, albeit through these arhtiyas, he added. Further, said the CM, the land ownership and tenancy issues may give rise to various avoidable legal complications, especially during the ongoing farmers’ agitation. This, he said, “may also cause avoidable unrest and anguish among the farmers.” He further noted that bringing the software in line with the proposed directions shall take considerable time.
‘My experience is my biggest strength’
Ruling out any threat from the other major political parties in the next assembly elections, the CM said he believed that his experience of governing the state and also in the army will help him handle the challenges of the state beyond 2022.
The CM trashed the C-voter survey that gave the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) a lead in the 2022 Assembly polls, as a “paid job” of Arvind Kejriwal. The AAP leader has a huge media budget he can use to buy such surveys, he said, adding that Kejriwal’s party poses no risk to the Congress in Punjab. “This same company had predicted 100 seats for AAP in 2016/17 and everyone knows how many they ultimately got”, he said adding that Kejriwal and his party would meet the same fate in 2022.
