Spell out the positives

IT is the duty of the government to address the grievances and apprehensions of farmers. Simply making statements in favour of the Bills is not sufficient. All the provisions in the Bills favouring the farmers should be brought out in the public domain. Farmers must be convinced how they are going to be benefited. The foremost question is, how is a farmer free to sell his produce anywhere in India? What is the purchase mechanism envisaged in these Bills? Who will purchase and fix the rates? How will the MSP be protected? If the government answers these questions, it will be able to tackle the situation.

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Darshan Singh Bhathal, Nangal

Bedlam in RS

Refer to ‘RS clears 2 farm Bills amid bedlam’; there is little doubt that the process was undermined and reflects poorly on India’s democracy. The reforms are significant, but they have also generated a political backlash. By bulldozing the Opposition, the government has done disservice to the reforms and Parliament. The Opposition was also wrong in being disruptive, creating a din and tearing documents. The responsibility for what happened in the RS rests with both sides, though the Bills do not merit the fears they appear to have stoked among the farmers, as only the monopoly of the APMCs is sought to be dismantled, not the MSP regime. The Opposition’s demand for sending the Bills to a select committee was quite reasonable. If it had been acceded to by the government, the ugly situation in the Upper House might have been averted.

PL SINGH, by mail

Reconsider farm Bills

Agriculture is a state subject. These farm ordinances are against the federal spirit of the Constitution. There is no assurance of MSP outside APMCs. So, corporates can easily dominate the market. If any dispute arises, the SDM has the power to resolve the issue within 30 days. Civil servants are always under the ascendency of governments and government under corporate tycoons. Farmers have no option but to go to courts for justice. These Bills must be reconsidered and the government should listen to farmers.

PAWANPREET SINGH, by mail

Abolition of middlemen

Instead of agitating, the introduction of three APMC ordinances should be appreciated by the farmers, as it would be beneficial to them in the long run. In the paddy season, rice millers purchase farmers’ produce on behalf of government agencies. The millers purchase paddy at least Rs 250-300 less per quintal, citing one reason or another, generally excess moisture content. Arhtiyas and market committee officials are always in league and force farmers to sell their produce on low rates. The same is with bajra and sarson. The arhtiyas purchase these crops in bulk in the beginning, and later sell it to government agencies at MSP. This practice has been going on since decades. It’s good if this kind of loot can be stopped with this APMC Act.

RAMESH GUPTA, NARWANA

Unfair decision

Refer to ‘Pupils applying under govt quota to pay same fee till further orders: HC’ (Sept 21); it is an unfortunate decision without considering the fact that government quota students are high-merit students who generally get economical seats. With this decision, there will be uncertainty about the fee. In such a scenario, the government quota seat aspirants will be at a disadvantage and face uncertain prospects and choices. The court’s decision will affect hundreds of students who were relieved with the government’s decision to decrease the fee.

Vitull K Gupta, Bathinda

Divert MPLAD funds

Refer to the editorial ‘MPs take a pay cut’ (Sept 21); it was mere tokenism to announce a pay cut when the pandemic has broken the back of the common people due to loss of jobs and harsh pay cuts in salaries. Surely they realised that getting full salaries even after six months of lockdown would look criminal, and they opted for small pay cuts. The government must not restore the MPLAD funds because it is mostly used for arbitrary benefits and hardly reaches the intended recipients. Moreover, with Parliament hardly in session and looking at the MPs’ dismal attendance, this fund needs to be frozen for this year. It should be used for Covid-related treatment.

Ashok Goswami, New York

In favour of patients

Apropos of the editorial ‘Visiting hours opened’, the step of letting the kin meet patients has been rightly taken by the Rajasthan health department. Relatives provide an indispensable mental and emotional support to the patient during illness. This step should be implemented at other places also but with proper precautionary measures to make the patient feel better.

SAMANTHA, by mail

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