JOIN USCongress MP T N Prathapan moves SC against farm law
Congress MP from Thrissur T N Prathapan on Monday moved the Supreme Court challenging the validity of one of three controversial farm laws passed last week.
He asked the court to strike down the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, which allowed contract farming, calling it "unconstitutional, illegal and void".
Prathapan claimed the latest law would spell disaster for 14.5 crore farmers and would lead to their exploitation by opening a parallel and unregulated market for a few corporates, individuals, multinationals and moneylenders.
The three farm Bills that triggered protests from farmers and Opposition parties were granted assent by the President on Sunday.
In a writ petition, the Congress MP contended that the law was passed hastily this month without having an adequate discussion, as a bare reading of its provisions would reveal that it is not a progressive piece of legislation.
"Without Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) acting as a protective shield around the farmers, the market would ultimately fall to the corporate greed of multinational companies who are more profit-oriented and have no care for the conditions of the poverty-stricken farmers," his plea stated.
He also asked the court to quash the law for violating Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution. The petitioner asked the court to issue direction for establishing a farmers' tribunal in line with the Industrial Disputes Act and the Consumer Protection Act in order to protect their interests.
The petitioner claimed the inherent weakness of the agriculture sector cannot be addressed by way of monetisation of the farmers' produce to increase their income. Instead, strengthening the existing Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) system by infusing more capital and effective management of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) was the need of the hour, he claimed.