Bakshi Committee report a threat to farmers: Kavuri

Eluru: Union Minister for Textiles Kavuri Sambasiva Rao on Tuesday termed recommendations of Prakash Bakshi Committee detrimental to the interests of the farming community in general and agricultural cooperative societies (PACS) in particular.

Addressing a meeting of the PACS here, he promised the farmers to persuade the government to scrap the recommendations made by the panel. While the PACS were the living examples of decentralisation of power, Bakshi recommendations reversed the system posing a threat to the very survival of the cooperative system.

He said he would discuss the issue in detail with Union Finance Minister Chidambaram. He would strive to strengthen the PACS which were the backbone for agricultural development, Kavuri announced amid thunderous applause by farmers. The PACS had been playing a pivotal role in extending timely financial help to about 70 per cent of the population depending on agriculture in the country, he said. Stating that farmers need no subsidies, the Union Minister said that extending timely loans to them in itself was a biggest favour any government could do. Many farmers were falling prey to private and micro financiers unable to get government loans. To help such depressed farming lot, the Congress government was offering interest-free loan up to Rs one lakh.

Provided all the farmers give a helping hand, India would emerge as a superpower overtaking the USA, he exuded confidence.