Agriculture Bills are anti-farmers, says Puducherry CM Narayanasamy

Senior Congress leader and Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy flayed the Centre over the Agriculture Bills on Saturday

: Senior Congress leader and

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Saturday flayed the Centre over the Agriculture Bills which, he said, were anti-farmers.

Addressing reporters here, he said the Bills encouraged affluent and big corporates who would hold the small and medium farmers to ransom.

He said the Centre should have consulted the state governments before bringing in the Bills.

"Big and affluent corporates will rule the roost in fixing the price for farm produce," he said and wanted the three Bills to be referred to Standing Committee.

Referring to the adoption of NEET system of admission of students to professional courses across the country, Narayanasamy said the Centre's relentless stand and adoption of NEET-based selection of students have caused a huge catastrophe in the lives of the students.

He said the people in the Union Territory of Puducherry should rise in revolt against the NEET system.

He further said Puducherry was adopting the ideal system of selecting students to professional courses like medicine through Centralised Admission Committee (CENTAC) on the basis of the marks obtained in the Class XII public examination.

He said students belonging to the downtrodden, marginalised sections and rural areas were able to realise their dream of becoming doctors or engineers following their admission through CENTAC.

The Chief Minister said the NEET has come to cause anxiety and fear among the youth and there were instances of students committing suicide. "The Centre should bear the responsibility for this sorry spectacle," he said.

He said Puducherry has adopted only the state board syllabus as was the case in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu.