The Congress government in Karnataka has said that it will roll back the amendments made to the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act and introduce a reformed law for management of the agricultural markets.
Following the farmers’ protest, the Centre had repealed the APMC Act, and two other farm laws. However, the Karnataka government, during the BJP regime, had not repealed the APMC Act.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil and Agricultural Marketing Minister Shivananda Patil on Wednesday held a meeting and said they would repeal the APMC Act and introduce a new law with reformed measures.
Members of several farmers’ organisations had been demanding the withdrawal of the APMC Act and other “anti-farmer” laws. Besides APMC legislation, they have also been demanding rolling back amendments made to the land reforms Act and the anti-cow slaughter legislation and had met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in this regard. The farmers’ groups had also threatened to stage a Statewide protest if the government did not review the “anti-farmer” laws.
The Congress in its election manifesto had said that it would repeal “anti-farmer” laws enacted by the BJP government and withdraw all “politically motivated” cases against farmers.
