Special Kerala Assembly session on December 23 to discuss farm laws

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 21: The CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala on Monday decided to convene a special session of the state assembly on December 23 to discuss the three contentious farm laws enacted by the Centre recently.

The decision in this regard was taken at the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan this morning. The cabinet also decided to recommend to the Governor to convene the special session, CMO sources told reporters.

Finance Minister Thomas Isaac in a tweet said, "Kerala cabinet decided to convene a special session of the legislative assembly on 23rd December before the scheduled session to discuss and reject the controversial farm laws. Kerala in total solidarity with the farmers struggle."

The special session is being convened in the backdrop of thousands of farmers, especially from Punjab and Haryana, camping at various borders of Delhi for almost four weeks demanding the repeal of the three agricultural laws as their talks with the government representatives remained deadlocked.

The farmers are apprehending that the new laws will pave the way for a dismantling of the Minimum Support Price mechanism and the mandi system, leaving them to the "mercy" of big corporates, which the government insists are misplaced.