Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government in wait-and-watch mode over Centre’s farm laws

State government’s cabinet sub-committee, formed on November 4, has held just one meet; yet to decide future course of action.

The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government is yet to take a decision on the Centre’s farm laws, although the state’s three ruling parties – the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress – have supported the call for Bharat Bandh on Tuesday.

Chief minister Uddhav Thackarey. (TWITTER)

The MVA government, two months ago, decided to form a cabinet sub-committee to deliberate clauses of the farm laws and look into concerns raised by farmer groups, but it is yet to decide whether to make changes in the existing laws or bring in a fresh legislation along the lines of Punjab.

The cabinet sub-committee has held just one meeting so far. Congress minister Sunil Kedar, a member of the sub-committee, said they are working on draft legislation.

“We held a meeting of the cabinet sub-committee recently. The marketing department is in the process of drafting a law, which will come before us for deliberations. We want to resolve the issue and don’t want to create another controversy and thus we are taking all aspects into consideration before going ahead,” said Kedar, who holds the state’s animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries portfolio.

State cooperation and marketing minister Balasaheb Patil, from the NCP, too, said “they are working on the issue”. “We have taken views of all farmers’ bodies by bringing them for a meeting and are now working on it... There are two opinions in the government, one is to make changes in the existing laws and another is to bring a new law. The committee needs some time to submit its recommendations to the chief minister [Uddhav Thackeray],” Patil said.

The three farm laws passed by the Centre have turned contentious as several farmers’ organisations and political parties, including state’s ruling allies — the Congress and NCP — have opposed their implementation. The MVA government, on September 30, stayed its notification (issued on August 10) for implementation of the laws. A 10-member cabinet sub-committee headed by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar was formed on November 4 to deliberate upon the drawbacks and shortcomings of the laws, which were described as “anti-farmer”. The committee was supposed to look into the contentious issues and suggest changes in the existing laws, but little progress has happened.

State government officials, who did not wish to be named, said it would be premature to take any decision now as the situation is unclear owing to the stalemate between the farmers’ organisations and Centre. “We don’t know what stand the Centre will take on the issue. It will make no sense to decide now as the Central Act will prevail if there is any contradiction between the state’s and Centre’s legislations,” said one of the officials.

The same officials quoted above admit the laws, in their present form, are “a bit harmful for the agrarian community as they don’t protect farmers’ interests in fullest”, but also said they may not take a decision as there is uncertainty with the Centre itself indicating changes in the laws after agitation by farmers.

“We don’t know if we will have to make changes in the existing laws or will have to bring in a fresh legislation. Earlier, we were working on the changes to be made in the current legislations, but there is also a demand to bring in new law,” said a senior official from the state marketing department.