FDI IN RETAIL: Lakhowal says, “PM never taken us into confidence”

Ludhiana, December 10, 2012: Contrary to the statement of the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that “the decision to allow Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Retail, which was approved by Parliament, was strongly supported by farmer organisations in Punjab”, the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) Punjab Unit president Ajmer Singh Lakhowal has categorically said they were never taken into confidence on the issue.

Speaking to the media persons here today, he added they were neither invited nor consulted on the issue by the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh while addressing the Golden Jubilee Convocation of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) here on December 8, had said,” Our decision to allow Foreign Direct Investment in retail, which was approved by Parliament only yesterday (December 7), was strongly supported by farmer organisations in Punjab.

Replying to a question, Lakhowal told that he did not as to about which farmer organisations in Punjab the PM had spoken about.

When asked whether or not he favoured FDI in Retail, he said he would prefer to keep “silence” on the issue. There was no use to “dig out dead issues”, he remarked.

However, on being pointed out that this was the burning topic across the country and the farmers’ community was to get affected at a large with it, he said “FDI in Retail is a dual edged sword”.

Adding, he said introducing FDI in Retail was an “experiment”.

“Time will tell whether FDI in Retail benefits or renders loss to the farmers”, he remarked.

Replying to a question, he admitted that bringing diversification in crops was need of the hour. He said there was a need to change pattern of crop production in Punjab, as many other states had started the production of paddy.

But, he also admitted that the farmers of the state were not ready for diversification. In-fact, the farmers needed complete assurance of proper marketing of the crops other than wheat and paddy in Punjab, he said, adding there was a need that the Centre should come up to build a faith among the farmers.

He also asserted that there was a need for further increasing research work in PAU, Ludhiana. He said the PM should have announced a sufficient grant for this purpose during his recent visit to PAU.