BJP opposes new Agricuture policy in UP

Lucknow, Aug 4 (UNI) Bharatiya Janata Party in Uttar Pradesh today slammed the newly-announced 'Agriculture Infrastructure and Investment Policy' of the Mayawati government alleging it was aimed at benefiting big private players like Reliance Industries.

''The policy envisaged to involve private retail parties in the agriculture sector smacks of some underhand understanding between government and the big industrial houses,'' BJP legislature party leader Om Prakash Singh told newsmen here.

He said contrary to the projections given by the UP government, the small marginal farmers would not gain anything out of it and the real beneficiary would be the big players. ''The concessions to only those who desired to invest more than Rs 500 crore were clearly aimed at benefiting industrial house like RIL,'' he said.

Mr Singh went on to allege that the provisions of this policy reminded of the sugar policy of the previous Mulayam Singh Yadav government where some handpicked industrial houses were chosen to benefit.

The BJP leader said in a state where 80 to 85 per cent of the farm workers were small farmers, such policy required certain degree of transparency. ''BJP demands a special session of state legislature to deliberate on the policy and take into confidence the public representatives,'' he said.

Mr Singh pointed out that the private participation initiative in agriculture had met with failure in a state like Punjab which slipped in the agriculture production since then. ''There is a strong apprehension that the pivate companies would indulge in improper practices of indiscreet use of fertilizers and exploitation of gound water to maximise thier profits,'' he said.

He also demanded the model agreement between the farmers and private companies should be released by the government at the earliest and make it public.

Ms Mayawati had unveiled the new policy yesterday opening the agriculture sector for pivate investment.

UNI