scorecardresearch
Thursday, Mar 28, 2024
Advertisement

Mamata Banerjee faults new farm laws for price increase

Mamata Banerjee said that in a letter she told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the Centre should either ensure that there is no black marketing of these items or provide states the necessary power to tackle the problem.

mamata banerjee, mamata banerjee rally, Suvendu Adhikari, west bengal assembly polls, indian express newsChief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday claimed that new farm laws enacted by the Centre led to black marketing of potatoes and onions, causing their prices to rise sharply.

“The central government has made destructive farm laws leading to black marketing of essential food items like potato and onion,” the chief minister said at an administrative meeting in Bankura district.

Banerjee said that in a letter she told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the Centre should either ensure that there is no black marketing of these items or provide states the necessary power to tackle the problem.

Advertisement

“Earlier we used to keep a check on prices of these essential food items but now the central Acts have robbed the states of their powers. This has caused losses to farmers as well as consumers. We also could not control the prices,” Banerjee said.

The chief minister said the state government should not be blamed for the high prices of items such as potatoes and onions. They were earlier in the list of essential commodities, but in September, the Centre enacted the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020, which removed cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oil, onions and potatoes from the list. “The Centre has made such an act that it [pricing] has gone into the hands of black marketeers,” Banerjee said, accusing the Union government of looting farmers.

Festive offer

She pointed out that her government was still selling potatoes at Rs 25 per kg from its “Sufal Bangla” outlets, using the stock it had procured earlier. Banerjee said her government does not know how long it can keep selling potatoes at subsidised rates as the stock will end soon, and under the new law the state cannot replenish it.

She reiterated her criticism of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to an Adivasi family in the district’s Chaturdihi village for lunch earlier this month.

Advertisement

She also said the West Bengal government has not stopped its social welfare schemes and has paid salaries and pension regularly despite tight fiscal condition due to very little financial help from the Centre during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The state has spent Rs 4500 crore for coronavirus treatment facilities from it’s own coffers despite the tight financial situation, she said at an administrative review meeting here.

She said that work for a Rs 2,500 crore World Bank project to improve irrigation facilities and flood protection measures in the Lower Damodar Basin benefitting the people of five districts will start from January.

(With PTI inputs)

First uploaded on: 25-11-2020 at 09:49 IST
Latest Comment
Post Comment
Read Comments
Advertisement
shorts
Maguntas
Political PulseUpdated: March 28, 2024 22:43 IST

Away from the national capital’s courtroom where the case against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is playing out, two key figures embroiled in the excise policy case – four-time MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy and his son Raghava Magunta Reddy – are busy campaigning for BJP ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP)

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
close