Bharatiya Kisan Sangh
Pratinidhi Sabha
Jabalpur
3,4,5 March 2006
Resolution No. : 1
Recall
Wheat import order.
After 1998 there was no
(foreign) wheat import during last eight years. On the other hand, during this
period the wheat was exported to some of the countries but the sudden decision
of the Central Government on 2nd Feb 2006, the import 5 lakh tones wheat,
which creates doubt, on the intervention of our Govt. on the wheat import
policy.
The plea of the Govt. for
importing wheat is hollow & fare less on the ground that on account of
increased consumption of wheat in southern area of the country. The Govt. was
constrained to import wheat in large quantity.
This stand of the Govt. is
neither natural nor justified, because the staple food in the southern India
is rice and not wheat; even otherwise, it will take about two months to reach
this import wheat to Indian ports and by that time Indian wheat will be
available in the market to the expected tune of 160 lakh tones. The cost of
import of wheat shall be 950/- per quintal, till it reaches Indian Port, while
Central Govt. has fixed Indian wheat Rs. 650/- as support price only. In these
circumstances there is no justification for importing foreign costlier wheat
to our country.
In the year 2002 food grains
in the central pool was 630 lakh tones and wheat portion of which was 325 lakh
tones. But under pressure of W.T.O. & World Bank the Central Govt.
continuously started reducing its storage capacity and multi national
companies were allowed to purchase unlimited quantity of wheat and yearly
licenses were issued to these Multi National Companies for unlimited wheat
purchase and they were allowed to purchase wheat directly form the farmers ;
and taking advantage of this policy; the Multinationals, I.T.C ., Kargil,
Hindustan Lever, Rallies Inida etc. Several companies in very large quantity
purchased Indian wheat. In fact the wheat storage ceiling law was repealed
prior to this, for the benefit of Multinational Govt. with malitive intention
reduced the central buffer stock. Multinational companies purchased wheat
directly from the farmers at a very cheap rate and even lower than that of
supporting wheat price of Govt. and exported the same to the foreign countries
like Bangladesh etc. and earned huge profits. Yearly 65 lakh tones of wheat
was exported as a consequence of this all, the price of wheat crossed Rs.
1000/- per quintal; wheat flour price increased from Rs. 12/- per kg to Rs.
14/- per kg in the Indian market.
This year in Jan 2006 the
Multinational companies were issued licenses for wheat purchase directly in
wholesale. This stand of the Govt. that the wheat production this year shall
be in a lesser quantity is not correct. But infact this year the wheat crop is
sown on an 65 lakh acres which is more to the tune of 20 lakh acres in
comparison to last year. According to the Agriculture Ministry the wheat
production in the current year is expected to be 7 crores 35 lakh tones ;
which is 11 lakh tones in excess to the previous year.
Vehemently as such All India
B.K.S. Pratinidhi Sabha condemns this wheat import decision of the Govt. of
India it being detrimental to our farmers. This Pratinidhi Sabha demands that
wheat import decision is immediately recalled and licenses of Multi National
Companies be cancelled. Also request the public at large to show patriotism by
using only Swadeshi Agriculture commodity.
Resolution No. : 2
Resolution No. : 3
Take back Seeds Bill 2004 and Save
Indian Seeds, Indian Seeds System and Indian Farmers Bharatiya Kisan Sangh
Pratinidhi Sabha resolves that the seed being the life line of agriculture
activity and farmers for their survival . The present bill pending in Rajya
Sabha and referred to a committee for report. The bill is not only tragic but
detrimental to the interest of the farmers must be recalled immediately.
Because :
(a) There is already an act on the
seeds which is balance and needs hardly any change. Earlier the present
proposed seed act, there were some provisions got included in the form of
plant varieties and protection of farmers rights act. The present law also
amended again dealing with the seeds. This being done on the behalf of the
M.N.C.'s for whom seed is a business trade and a commercial activity. The
present proposed Seed Act 2004 is a change to create monopoly for M.N.C.s in
seeds and that amount to a calculated conspiracy against the interest of the
farmers and it is simply will hamper very security of the nation where
agriculture is the back bone of this country; More than 65% of India depends
solely on agriculture.
(b) The proposed act contains a
very tough and complicated procedure for registration to dealing seeds. It
takes away the inherent rights to sale transfer of any way of his produce as
seed. The barter system of exchange the seeds are taken away by the proposed
act. It denies the birthrights of farmers to exchange the seeds among
themselves.
(c) The proposed act creates a
inspector raj. As a inspector for seeds can brake open the door of any farmer
at his pleasure and dissention can seize the seeds impose a fine at a tune of
Rs. 5000/- to Rs. 25000/- coupled with a prosecution for which 5 years
imprisonment is provided.
(d) Let there should not be any
hamper or restriction on a farmer to continue with their present traditional
system of the seeds.
The present act is a one sided
game for M.N.C's as seed traders. It is apprehend at the face of it when we
consider the liability of these to the farmer/user where the provision
prescribed a simple remedy before a consumer court in the case of supply of
defectives seeds and no penalty and imprisonment is there.
The permission of the act which
considered as a whole are against the interest of the common farmer. The
Bharatiya Kisan Sangh Pratinidhi Sabha strongly demands to recall this Seed
Bill 2004.
