The BJP on Saturday criticised the new agriculture investment policy of the Mayawati government. The BJP legislature party leader Om Prakash Singh said the policy was aimed at helping some big capitalists in the country.
The government should immediately summon special session of the state assembly to discuss the policy that could prove disastrous for the farmers, Singh said and expressed grave apprehension about its adverse fall out.
"Such policy had adversely affected the farmers in Punjab," Singh said. Massive use of fertilizers in Punjab ruined land and reduced productivity, he said.
The government had been making tall claims about the new farm investment policy involving private sector but the interest of the farmers was unsafe, Singh said. "It would ruin small and marginal farmers," the BJP leader said. The government had announced to give licence to entrepreneurs investing Rs 500 crore in agriculture sector, he said and added "it doesn’t appear for a normal investors but aimed at helping some big capitalists," Singh said.
Like Mulayam Singh Yadav had fixed minimum Rs 300 crore investment ceiling in sugar sector to help some big houses, the present government had fixed Rs 500 crore for licence in farm sector, he said. "It would endanger existence of farm-based small industry," Singh said.
{{/usCountry}}Like Mulayam Singh Yadav had fixed minimum Rs 300 crore investment ceiling in sugar sector to help some big houses, the present government had fixed Rs 500 crore for licence in farm sector, he said. "It would endanger existence of farm-based small industry," Singh said.
{{/usCountry}}Moreover it would also harm the interest of retailers, he said. The BJP leader did not rule out the possibility of massive use of fertilizers by the investors that would damage the land productivity.
The government is yet to finalise the terms of agreement between the farmers and investors, he said. The government should therefore summon special session of the House to hold detail discuss on the policy to protect the interest of the farmers. The government should take the House into confidence before going ahead with the plan, he said.