Karnataka cabinet to decide on APMC ordinance today

The Cabinet is expected to approve Thursday a controversial ordinance to relax restrictions the sale of agricultural produce after Governor Vajubhai R Vala sent it back citing procedural lapses.

"The Governor insisted that the ordinance be passed in the Cabinet first as it is a policy decision. The state government intended to take a post-facto approval of the Cabinet, but the Governor took objection to it," a source said.

The Cabinet is also expected to discuss some tweaks in labour laws as well as relaxation that can be provided under Lockdown 4.0.

The Opposition Congress and the JD(S), farmers groups and activists are up in arms over the government’s move to clip the powers of the Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMC).

As per the proposed amendment, the government seeks to relax restrictions on sale of agricultural produce, which would essentially mean that the APMCs will relinquish control to regulate agricultural produce. The amendment seeks to allow private players to directly purchase from farmers, deeming it to be in the larger interest of farmers.

However, the Opposition has taken objection to this move, alleging that it would benefit the "ulterior motives" of private players.

Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah spoke to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa over telephone on Wednesday and asked him to drop the ordinance. The former CM enumerated various problems that would arise were the government to go ahead with diluting the APMC Act. This would make it difficult for the government to regulate prices, he said. By allowing multiple players, the farmers would be in a vulnerable state to market forces, he told Yediyurappa.

Meanwhile, the state federation of farmers' association has decided to launch a symbolic protest opposing the government's move. Federation president Kuruburu Shantha Kumar said they would submit a memorandum against the ordinance to the Mysuru deputy commissioner on Thursday.

"Similarly, in different districts, our farmer leaders will protest and submit a memorandum to the respective DCs," he said. The entire ordinance seems to be moved only to support corporate entities. The government did not even discuss it with farmers, he said.

"In the times of this pandemic, the government should have stood in support of the farmers. Instead, it wants to move an ordinance that works against the farmers' interests," Shantha Kumar alleged.