Confusion mars farm law debate at Niti Aayog council meet

Congress-led Punjab govt claimed that CM Amarinder Singh, who could not attend the meeting, in a pre-recorded message had raised the issue

Narendra Modi attends the Niti Aayog meeting via video conferencing in New Delhi on Saturday.: PTI

Special Correspondent   |   TT  |   New Delhi   |   21.02.21: The controversial farm law, which could have held centre stage at the Niti Aayog’s governing council meet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, got drowned in a confusion over whether it was brought up during the meeting following divergent views on the issue.

While the Congress-led Punjab government claimed that chief minister Amarinder Singh in a pre-recorded message had raised the issue, the think-tank’s vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar said, “Nobody talked about the farm laws.”

Defending the three farm laws introduced last year to open up the agriculture sector for more private participation, Modi said this will help farmers. “Reforms are very important in the farm sector to make sure our farmers get finance, better infrastructure and modern technology,” he said.

PTI reported quoting a Punjab government release that chief minister Amarinder Singh had urged the Prime Minister to ensure an urgent resolution to the ongoing farmers’ “unrest” and an early release of the state’s pending GST compensation in his pre-recorded address for the sixth governing council meeting of the Niti Aayog.

Singh, who could not attend the meeting as he was unwell, also expressed his concerns over the threat to Punjab’s agriculture sector as a result of the “disruptions caused by the three new farm laws”.

Farmers have been protesting against the three new central agricultural laws enacted in September last year and demanding they be repealed.

“There was no discussion on the Centre’s farm laws, or the demand for their repeal in the meeting,” Kumar told reporters when asked about the Punjab CM’s statement released ahead of the press conference.

Around 26 chief ministers, three lieutenant governors and two administrators participated in the conference. The chief ministers of Bengal, Punjab, Telangana and Gujarat did not attend the meeting. Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani could not attend because of health reasons, Kumar said.

Officials said the virtual council meet was that of chief ministers and there was no provision of playing pre-recorded messages nor could  anyone speak on their behalf.

Modi said efforts should be made to produce agriculture items such as edible oil and reduce their imports.