Govt committed to protect interest of farmers through its policies, says PM Modi amid protest
New Delhi, Dec 12: Amidst protests by farmers over the new farm laws, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the government is committed to protect the interest of the farming community through its policies and intentions.
The government has taken various initiatives to improve the income of people engaged in the farm sector, he said, adding that farmers now have options to sell their crops in mandis as well as to outside parties.
The government at any cost is committed to protect the interest of farmers through "its policies and intentions", he emphasised.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the limited participation of India Inc in the agriculture sector, the Prime Minister asked industries to show there interest and increase investment in the sector.
Frankly speaking, he said, unfortunately the India Inc "has not made adequate investments in agriculture and private players did not explore the sector to its full potential, rather they worked in limited fashion".
Citing an example, he said "the private sector's participation is not as per the desired level in cold storage and fertiliser manufacturing".
Addressing the FICCI Annual Convention, the Prime Minister said tax terrorism and Inspector Raj are things of the past.
India is now among the few nations which have implemented faceless assessment and faceless appeal with regard to tax matters, Modi said.
Even the corporate tax in India is very competitive after the moderation effected last year, he added.
It is to be noted that thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, are protesting against the new farm laws which they claim will dismantle the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporate houses.
The farming community has expressed apprehension that three new laws -- Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 -- would pave the way for dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporations.
Enacted in September, the laws have been projected by the government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country.
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Austrian police detain suspect in case of rat poison found in baby food jars on supermarket shelves
Vienna (AP): Police in eastern Austria say a 39-year-old suspect has been arrested after rat poison turned up in some HiPP baby food jars on supermarket shelves in central Europe.
HiPP, which recalled some of its baby food jars in Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic after the case came to light last month, said in a statement Saturday it was “greatly relieved” by the arrest, and would provide further updates as verified details come in.
The Burgenland State Criminal Police Office, under the direction of prosecutors, said a probe was launched after poison turned up in a baby food jar purchased at a supermarket in the city of Eisenstadt on April 18.
It said the suspect was being questioned, and that no further details would be immediately provided. The Burgenland public prosecutor's office has announced an investigation into suspected “intentional endangerment of the public.”
The Austrian Press Agency reported that an expert report on the toxicity of the poison was pending. A total of five tampered baby food jars were seized before they could be consumed, APA reported.
Authorities said previously they believe the tampering occurred in 190-gram (6.7-ounce) jars of baby food made with carrots and potatoes for 5-month-olds that were sold from SPAR supermarkets in Austria.
HiPP responded by recalling all of its baby food jars sold at SPAR supermarkets — which include SPAR, EUROSPAR, INTERSPAR and Maximarkt stores — in Austria as a precaution. Vendors in Slovakia and the Czech Republic also removed all of the brand's baby jars from sale.
The company said the recall was not due to any product or quality defect on its part, and said the jars left its facility in “perfect condition.”
Police said a customer at the time of the discovery had reported that a jar appeared to have been tampered with, but no one had consumed the baby food.
