Ahead of the Rajasthan Assembly session in which the Bills against the Centre’s agriculture sector laws will be introduced, experts at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) here have opposed the Central legislations. The three statutes would impinge on constitutional rights of States and violate the federal structure, said the experts.
The IDS held a discussion on the farm laws and their impact on the State’s agriculture and economy earlier this week to find an academic basis for the legislative exercise. Academicians, agricultural experts and development practitioners said the States would find it difficult to initiate market reforms for major crops because of the Central laws having an overriding effect.
IDS Director S. Mohanakumar said the three Central Acts, put together, would throw the agriculture sector to the mercy of large agro-industrial capital, which would not augur well for the majority of farmers with small land holdings. They would also undermine the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs) in the States, he added.
‘Laws will finish ties’
“The relationship between commission agents in APMCs and farmers has been established through generations. The new laws will finish these relations,” Dr. Mohanakumar said.
Other experts who took part in the event included National Institute of Agricultural Marketing Director-General P. Chandra Shekara and Kerala State Planning Board member K.N. Harilal.
