The Rajya Sabha passed two controversial agricultural bills by voice vote on Sunday, as the House witnessed chaotic scenes after some opposition members shouting slogans led by the Trinamool Congress took the president’s podium demanding a discussion.
The Upper Chamber approved the Draft Law on Trade in Agricultural Products and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) of 2020, and the Agreement for the Guarantee of Prices and Agricultural Services of the Agreement of Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) of 2020. The draft law of 2020 Essential Commodities (Amendment), which is part of the broader agricultural liberalization plan, could not be addressed and the House was suspended for the day.
Members of the opposition, including those of the TMC, Congress and the left, created a scandal after Vice President Harivansh failed to consider their demand for a split of votes in a resolution to send the two bills to a select committee. Amid the uproar, the Chamber was briefly suspended.
Trinamool members, including Derek O’Brien, and other members of the opposition had previously stood on the president’s podium after his demand to vote on the motion to send the farm bills to the selected panel was not considered. They also showed Harivansh the rule book during the debate on the controversial farm bills.
The upper house was suspended for a time.
Several members, including O’Brien, KK Ragesh of the CPI, Trichi Siva of the DMK, and KC Venugopal of Congress, introduced resolutions calling for the two bills to be sent to a select committee of the House for consideration before approval.
Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar introduced two crucial agricultural bills in Rajya Sabha on Sunday. The bills The 2020 Bill on Trade in Agricultural Products and Trade (Promotion and Facilitation) and the Agreement on Price Guarantee and Agricultural Services for Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) of 2020. Both were approved by the Lower House with a voice vote earlier in the week.
“The two bills are historic and will bring a change in the lives of farmers. Farmers will be able to freely market their products anywhere in the country. I want to assure farmers that these bills are not related to Minimum Support Price (MSP), ”Tomar said at the Rajya Sabha on Sunday.
Protests
Farmers, who have been campaigning against bills previously passed in Lok Sabha, said they are “anti-farmers” and fear they will end the mandi system. Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and the Trinamool Congress are among the parties that have opposed the bills.
Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut had convened a special session of Parliament to discuss the agricultural sector reform bills. “You say it is in the interest of the people. Can the government assure the country that after the approval of the agricultural reform bills, farmers’ income will double and no farmer will commit suicide? …. A special session should be convened to discuss these bills, ”Raut said during a discussion on the two agriculture bills in the Upper House.
“Why are farmers protesting in Punjab and Haryana if it is in their interest?” added.
Digging at the Center on the resignation of Lok Sabha MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal from the cabinet, Shiv Sena MP said: “The prime minister has said that the government is not ending the MSP system. It’s just a rumor. So a Union minister resigned based on a rumor? The government is giving markets to private companies ”.
Harsimrat Kaur Badal, from Bharatiya Janat Party (BJP) ally Shiromani Akali Dal, had resigned from the Union Cabinet on September 17 in protest of the three bills.
Congressional leader Ghulam Nabi Azad had previously demanded that the response to the debate on the two bills be postponed until Monday, as the scheduled sitting time on Sunday had ended.
The Agricultural Products Trade and Trade (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill of 2020 allows for the electronic commerce of agricultural products and the creation of transaction platforms to facilitate the direct online purchase and sale of agricultural products. The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Guarantee and Agricultural Services Act of 2020 establishes an agriculture agreement prior to the production or breeding of any agricultural product.
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