Despite assurance to HC, state yet to implement Swaminathan farm reforms

Mumbai: Though the state has assured the Bombay high court that it will implement certain recommendations of the Swaminathan commission on agrarian reforms, it is yet to see the light of the day. The recommendations include provision of facilities to ensure financial security for farmers. In June 2017, the HC was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Pune activist Hemant Patil. The PIL demanded that the government must implement the 2006 Swaminathan commission recommendations that suggested minimum support price for grains, safeguarding the interest of small farmers and also discouraging handing over of agricultural land for non-agricultural activities.

The state through its counsel Abhinandan Vagyani had assured the court that the state had constituted a committee consisting of representatives of the farmers and also ministers to meet the union government and ask for increasing the price of grains which was one of the recommendations of the commission. Satisfied by the assurance the court had disposed off the petition.

However, agriculture activist Vijay Javandhia said that the assurances were mere lip service as there is no political will to implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission.