New Delhi, May 12: Charging the government with showing apathy towards the grievances of farmers, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj today insisted that the proposed Food Security Bill should be formulated after discussing the issues with those involved in the agriculture sector.
“Government wants to bring a Bill which aims to provide food security to the people. Then a person who does not get food can go to court. Such a Bill cannot be made in air-conditioned rooms and should be formulated after consulting the people on the ground,” Swaraj said.
She was speaking at a Farmers' Parliament organised by the BJP here.
Swaraj hit out at the government for failing to provide adequate facilities for storage of grains including gunny bags, corruption in distribution of grains through PDS, faulty export policy for sugar, cotton and other products.
“We wanted that a special session of Parliament be held to discuss only the agricultural policies. That effort has not yet been successful,” Swaraj said.
The BJP leader alleged that fertile land which yields three crops a year is being bought from farmers by the government for building malls and factories. She gave the example of Singur, charging that an unsuccessful attempt was made there earlier.
“Storage of crops is the weakest link in the chain of production, storage and distribution of crops.
Government has failed to provide godowns even 65 years after Independence.... The Madhya Pradesh government had made advance payment for jute bags to store crops but these have not been provided by the Centre,” Swaraj said.
