It is better to withdraw agricultural laws, top economists write letter to Narendra Singh Tomar

- Changing two to four provisions will not change anything

New Delhi Dated 23rd December 2020 Wednesday

Some top Delhi-based economists have written a letter to Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar saying that changing a few provisions of the new agriculture law would not change anything. Repeal agricultural laws would be the only better option.

He wrote in clear words that these laws are not in the interest of small and marginal farmers. Among those who wrote the letter was D Narasimha Reddy, president of the National Institute of Rural Development.

Reddy opined that it is true that a change is needed in the agricultural marketing system but the laws you have framed do not meet the requirement.

The letter-writer economists expressed the view that the government had enacted laws based on misconceptions. These economists clarified through five points the fact of how these laws are detrimental to small and marginal farmers.

The letter writers also opined that by enacting these laws, the central government had neglected the states by violating the rules of the federal system. The law diminishes the role of states and kills small farmers.

The mandis (markets) in the states were right, these markets come under the control of the center so only big traders benefit. States could better manage the sale of goods of small and marginal farmers which would not be possible in the markets controlled by the Central Government.