Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that the economic package announced by the centre doesn’t bring any immediate relief to the distressed farmers.
“The standing crops have perished due to the lockdown causing great losses to the farmers. In turn, they are facing cash crush and need immediate support to undertake ensuing Kharif season activities (sic),” Sharad Pawar tweeted.
I have raised concerns and shared my views in an open letter to Hon’able Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji over the scope of the 20 trillion package announced by him in the wake of the coronavirus-led damages. @PMOIndia @narendramodi @nsitharaman @ianuragthakur @FinMinIndia pic.twitter.com/PSDRe95naP
— Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) May 18, 2020
The former Maharashtra Chief Minister said that the package announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was supply chain oriented which would take longer time to benefit farmers. The package doesn’t make any provisions for compensating the crop losses incurred due to the lockdown, he added.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman earlier announced amendment in the essential commodity act through deregulation of prices of agricultural commodities. Pawar, however, said that the deregulation will not necessarily fetch attractive prices for the farmers unless the prices are fixed on the basis of the cost of production adding net profit to the same.
While pointing out that the reforms to reduce farmers’ dependence on Agricultural Produce Market Committee (AMPC) were initiated during UPA-1, the former Union Agriculture Minister said that this needs resolution and consultation to be implemented effectively.
“I would suggest issuing specific guidelines in consultation with the Cooperative and Marketing ministers of the respective state governments, in order for effective implementation of the same (sic),” Sharad Pawar tweeted.
Moreover, the NCP supremo sought to know from the centre on how the actual implementation will be done and how the funds will be disbursed in time, with respect to the packages announced for Animal Husbandry Infrastructure, Fisheries, Micro food enterprises and Beekeeping.
Earlier, Sharad Pawar had called for urgent credit relief measures for farmers like restructuring agricultural loans, cutting own interest rates, an extension of moratorium period for repayment among others.
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