TIL Desk/Business/New Delhi/ The government’s annual Economic Survey on Friday strongly defended new farm laws, saying they herald a new era of market freedom which can go a long way in improving lives of small and marginal farmers in India.
These legislations were designed “primarily” for the benefit of “small and marginal farmers”, which constitute around 85 per cent of the total number of farmers and are the biggest sufferer of the “regressive” APMC-regulated market regime, the survey said.
The pre-budget document defended the farm laws in the backdrop of long-running farmers’ agitation at various borders of the national capital seeking repeal of these legislations expressing concern that they are pro-corporate and could weaken government regulated mandis, also called Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs). “Several Economic Surveys have expressed concern at functioning of the APMCs and the fact that they sponsor monopolies.
