Left asks government to drop FDI plan for agriculture, plantation

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, July 11 (UNI) The Left parties today asked the government to drop its reported move to allow 100 per cent FDI in agriculture and plantation saying it would only deepen the agrarian crisis in the country.

Opposing the move, the CPI (M) and the CPI said a Group of Ministers led by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had reportedly recommended opening up agriculture and plantation for 100 per cent FDI through the automatic route.

The GoM has recommended removing agriculture and plantation from the ''list of prohibited items'', said the CPI.

''Such a decision will only aggravate the already deepening agrarian crisis in the country which is marked by growing distress suicides and starvation deaths,'' said the CPI (M) Polit Bureau.

The CPI central secretariat said the move would have a ''very adverse impact'' on the agriculture and plantation sector and ruin millions of farmers and planters.

According to the CPI (M), the Reserve Bank of India has asked the government to clarify whether it has decided to change the FDI policy permitting sensitive areas like agriculture, plantation, real estate and transfer of shares to Non-Residents through the automatic route.

Producers of commercial crops including plantations have severely suffered in the recent years due to the liberalisation of trade policies in these areas, the CPI (M) said.

''In Kerala, particularly, lakhs of people are facing pauperisation especially in areas producing coffee, pepper and cardamom,'' the party said.

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