New Delhi, Sept 20, 2020: The Rajya Sabha, the upper house of parliament, on September 20 passed two farm bills amid a ruckus from opposition members and protests from farmers.
The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020, part of the broader farm liberalization plan, could not be taken up and the House was adjourned.
Members of the Trinamool, including Derek O’Brien, and other opposition members had earlier climbed the chairperson’s podium after their demand for voting on motion to send the farm bills to select panel was not considered. They also showed the rule book to the chairperson Harivansh during the debate on the contentious farm bills.
The upper house was adjourned for a short while.
Several members, including O’Brien, the CPI’s K K Ragesh, Trichi Siva of the DMK and Congress’ KC Venugopal, moved resolutions asking for the two bills to be sent a select committee of the House for consideration before they are taken up for passage.
Federal Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar moved three crucial farm bills in the Rajya Sabha on September 20. The bills include the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020.
The Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament passed the two bills on September 17.
“The two bills are historic and will bring a change in the lives of the farmers. The farmers will be able to freely trade their produce anywhere in the country. I want to assure the farmers that these bills are not related to Minimum Support Price,” Tomar told the Rajya Sabha.
Farmers, who have been agitating against the bills passed in the Lok Sabha earlier, said they are “anti-farmer” and fear they will end the mandi system. The Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Trinamool Congress are among the parties that have opposed the bills.
The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 seeks to provide freedom to farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country.
The second bill, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, provides for a national framework on farming agreements that protects and empowers farmers to engage with agri-business firms, processors, wholesalers, exporters or large retailers for farm services.
Source: ndtv.com