I challenge Congress to find one 'anti-farmer' word in agri laws: Anurag Thakur

Dharamshala: Union Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur on Sunday said the central government is ready for an open debate with the Congress anywhere on the recently cleared agriculture legislations. The farm laws have led to several protests in many states with opposition parties deeming them as "anti-farmer".
"I challenge the Congress party to find out even a word which is anti-farmer in the farm laws," said the minister while addressing a press conference in Dharamshala.

The Hamirpur Lok Sabha member said the agricultural laws are beneficial for farmers and will give more opportunities for farmers to sell their produce. He added that the Congress is trying to "mislead" the farmers but the truth is that the farmer can now sell his crop to any person or firm.

The firm taking up a contract to raise the crop has to pay the farmer in three days, and a dispute, if any, will be resolved by the sub-divisional magistrate concerned within 30 days, the minister claimed.

Thakur said the Narendra Modi government at the Centre is working in the interest of farmers and spoke about the provision of free ration to the poor and LPG cylinders during the coronavirus period.

The Himachal Pradesh Central University campus will soon be built in Dharamshala and Dehra with its detailed project report (DPR) already re-submitted, he added.

Replying to a question on few national highway projects in HP being cancelled, the minister said national highways in the state will be built on the basis of priority and reports submitted by the state government.

He said the proposed Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Leh railway line is very important from the perspective of the nation's defence forces. Its first 20 km of land acquisition has been completed on Bhanupalli section and the work on land acquisition on the next stretch of 20 km is also underway, whereas similar activity is also going on this track from Leh side, Thakur added.

Taking tourism into consideration, HP requires 2 to 3 big airports, Thakur said. "At the moment, Dharamshala airport is the only one, which could be extended easily. All political parties should act together for the execution of extension work, so that its benefits could be passed on to the public of the area," he pointed out.

State Forest Minister Rakesh Pathania, local MLA Vishal Naiharia, MLA Arun Kumar, Mulakh Raj Premi, MP Kishan Kapoor, Kangra BJP District President Chandrabhushan Nag and BJP media in-charge Rakesh Sharma were also present on the occasion.