New Delhi: Hitting out at the Centre over the controversial fam laws, Trinamool Congress' Rajya Sabha member Derek O'Brien said that the government has failed India at many levels and "struggling" to double farmers' income by 2022, which has already been tripled in West Bengal.
"It has failed to uphold the sanctity of Parliament as the rules and traditions of the Parliament were set aside for the passage of controversial farm laws on September 20, 2020," he said, adding that the Bills were passed and demand of opposition members for division of vote was completely 'ignored'.
"Multiple members had brought resolutions to send the contentious Bills to a Select Committee and the rules were not followed despite the fact that the government has a majority in most of the committees," he said.
Citing an incident of his schooldays to take a swipe at the government, he said, "In a fancy dress competition I was dressed up as Rabindranath Tagore and was adjudged best among 44 students by our Bengali teacher."
"Two weeks later, I got my Bengali literature paper results. Even though the judge was same I got 14 out of 50 and when I asked the teacher for poor marks, she said 'that was the fancy dress, this is the real thing'," he recalled.
Pushing his demand to repeal the controversial farm laws, he said, "The government has promised to double the farmers' income by 2022, but at current rates, if that were to happen, it will not happen before 2028." However, he said that the income of farmers has already been tripled in West Bengal from 2011 till now.
"In West Bengal, farmers are getting Rs 5,000 per acre under the Krishak Bandhu Scheme, while the Prime Minister's scheme is offering Rs 1,200 per acre. Similarly, in the insurance scheme Bangla Shasya Bima, it's the state government who is paying the premium for the farmers and not farmers, but in the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, the farmers have to pay the premium.
Taking on the Centre for letting poor migrant workers suffer during the lockdown period, the TMC leader said, "Home Minister Amit Shah was supposed to visit Bengal for a political rally and at that rally some TMC leaders were to switch their sides, but he stayed back in Delhi. So all the leaders were brought in Delhi in four hours through chartered planes and when it comes to migrant workers then the government says there is no data available."
Derek O'Brien also attacked the government for ruining India's federal structure by imposing cess which is not shared with the states whereas 40 per cent of the tax is shared with states.