Viewers' Voice

01/12/2011


Nitishji! Don’t Oppose FDI for politics

 

Indra R Sharma

 

Fortunately, Shri Nitish is educated in engineering too. Nitish Kumar wants immediate withdrawal of the cabinet decision of FDI in retails. As reported Nitish said, “We are not going to support it at any cost as it will ruin the life and existence of marginal traders, grocers and farmers.”

Let me assure you, Wal-Mart or for that matter any other MNCs in retail will not enter Bihar for next ten years even after the opening by the centre. Reason: Bihar doesn’t have the ambience to do business. Look at the power position. Will any MNC invest in cold storage sector that is already in free lost of 100% FDI? Big MNCs in retail will focus on the big cities and will remain few in numbers without disturbing the business of even 1% of small marginal traders and grocers in poorly urbanized Bihar. It has happened in the same way in every country. If Malls have not made them go out of business, MNC will not.

FDI in retail will certainly eliminate four to five middlemen or perhaps more that are present at different levels between the manufacturers and the final users. It is these middlemen who get benefitted with no values addition. FDI will also enable farmers, artisans and craftsmen to get better quality of inputs and improve the quality of the output to global level. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1111201/jsp/bihar/story_14820846.jsp

Please hear what a farmer of Bihar’s famous Lichchi says, ““I sell my litchi to the first middleman at Rs 21 per kg. Passing through different layers of middle-level retailers and transporters, the commodity is sold at the rate of about Rs 200 per kg in south Indian markets and at Rs 400 and even more in London and Dubai markets. In the process, the producers and the consumers are the biggest losers.”

I am from Bihar and love the fruit, but I can hardly buy it at that exorbitant price in Noida. Many must be having the similar experience.

Can you or for that matter any government ensure that the due share of the exorbitant price the traders make the customers pay through various tricks of trade such as creating scarcity and illegal hoarding to the farmers?

Before opposing FDI, you are to do some real research and decide wisely if it will really affect the small trader and the farmer in reality.

However, the government must help the small farmers and manufacturers in negotiating the price of their produce with the big retailers, be they domestic or foreigners, if there are complaints.

Please don’t oppose FDI for political reasons. It’s a big reform, please allow it to come. After all we expect a rational decision from a technocrat.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this report are purely those of the author and may not in any circumstances be regarded as the official view of BiharTimes.

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