Pawar never brought Bill on farm laws: Praful Patel

New Delhi, Feb 5 (IANS) Nationalist Congress Party leader Praful Patel on Friday said that the farmers' agitation is matter of concern for the country."If wider consultation have been done on the farm laws and sent to the select committee then the matter would have been not reached in a such situation," said Patel while speaking on the motion of thanks to the President's address. Clarifying the letter that written by Sharad Pawar to the Chief Minister on the agri laws, Patel said, "Sharad Pawarji never brought any Bill in the House, he only sought suggestions from the state."Pawar, the former Agriculture Minister, had said that the new legislation will adversely affect the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and weaken the mandi system.He had also criticised the amendment in Essential Commodities Act, 1955."I am also concerned about the amended Essential Commodities Act. According to the Act, the government will intervene for price control only if rates of horticultural produce are increased by 100 per cent and that of non-perishable items increase by 50 per cent," the NCP supremo said."Stock piling limits have been removed on food grain, pulses, onion, potato, oilseeds etc. It may lead to apprehensions that Corporates may purchase commodities at lower rates and stockpile and sell at higher prices to consumers," he added.
--IANS miz/rs