Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya has said that the Centre in all likelihood may implement the Swaminathan Commission report which focussed on causes of farmer distress and recommended steps to tackle suicide by farmers. He was speaking at the inauguration of National Consumer Convention held in the city on Sunday.
The Commission ensured crop safety and debt relief for farmers. “The Centre is actively considering implementation of the report and the matter is being deliberated in New Delhi,” he said. The report also ensures right to compensation at the incidence of environmental disasters including flood and drought.
Consumer cells
Each district in all States should have a consumer protection council to check black marketing and depleting sale of consumer goods. Even a conducive insurance scheme for farmers will be implemented shortly, he said.
Farmers’ rights
The convention discussed linking consumer protection rights with farmers’ rights. Agriculture Minister of Telangana Pocharam Srinivas Reddy said that middlemen are the cause of farmers’ suicide. Sixty eight farmers committed suicide everyday at the national level since 1995. “Even in Telangana, farmers are committing suicide and the situation has not changed much. Middlemen are robbing farmers in the State,” Mr. Reddy said. The State has already cracked down on black marketers. “We made seed, pesticide and power available for farmers,” the Minister said. He asked the Centre to provide insurance cover for each farmer. “Insurance policy should not just cover the village or mandal units but each farmer and his/her produce,” he said. The Centre should also enforce minimum support price to protect farmers, the Minister added. TRS MP of Nizamabad K. Kavitha said that the legislation on consumer affairs can protect the farmers in a big way. “At the policy level, the country should explore whether the seed and pesticide manufacturers could be sued if their products do not yield results,” Ms. Kavitha said. Indrani Thurisingham, head of Consumer International Malaysia, said that farmers are not just threatened by natural calamities but also genetically engineered crops.
