Read various news reports on govt-farmers talks & am puzzled by 2 demands: are they really coming from farmers? Or is it traders lobby at work? 1. Since no fees/taxes will be imposed on non APMC markets, trade will get diverted to these, weakening existing mandis. Now, why ++

shd farmers worry about 1 market getting weaker if they have choice of others? Counter is if APMC mandis disappear pvt markets will become monopolies/cartels. Valid point. But is the solution 2 allow existing monopoly to continue? Apparently govt is thinking of levying some ++

charges on new markets too. But why not pressure state govts to lower/revoke fees/taxes on APMC mandis?
2. Trade in pvt mandis will be allowed on basis of only PAN, which is easy to acquire. Govt is saying will bring in registration of traders. Registration might bring in +++

all kinds of conditions which will just be entry barriers to new players & will only benefit incumbent traders. Again, don’t understand why this is a farmer concern. Worry about shady operators is valid, but is this the right solution? Wd like INFORMED responses ++

Protest against no court jurisdiction at all for disputes is valid. Can’t leave SDM as final authority. Stubble burning too needs some other solution than penalising farmers. But on electricity subsidy, there shd be no yielding by govt. harm caused by free power ++

is too serious an issue to be left unaddressed. If end of free/subsidised power is substituted by cash transfer, why shd farmers object? On MSP, too, govt shd stand firm.