The union minister for agriculture and farmers’ welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar, introduced three crucial agricultural bills in Rajya Sabha on Sunday. The bills include the Agricultural Products Trade and Trade (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance 2020, the Farmers Agreement (Empowerment and Protection) on Price Guarantee and the Agricultural Services Ordinance 2020 and the Essential Products Ordinance ( Amendment) of 2020.
“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, ”Tomar said at the Rajya Sabha.
“I want to assure farmers that these bills are not related to the Minimum Support Price (MSP),” he said regarding farmers’ concern that it will lead to the sale of their products below the MSP.
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.
Several opposition parties have opposed the ordinances, including Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and the Trinamool Congress.
“Farmers who contribute at least 20% of the country’s total GDP will be enslaved by these bills. It will kill the farmers and turn them into a commodity, ”said TKS Elangovan of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party in Rajya Sabha.
“It seems that there is an obligation that the ruling party does not want a debate or discussion on these bills. They’re just reviewing these bills. He hasn’t even consulted any farmers’ association, ”said Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party.
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Trinamool Congressman Derek O’Brien also opposed the bill in the upper house of Parliament.
“The prime minister said that the opposition deceives the farmers. You (Center) said that farmers ‘incomes will double by 2022. But, at current rates, farmers’ incomes will not double before 2028, “he said. “His credibility is low to make promises,” he added.
“Congress opposes these ill-conceived and untimely bills. Congress rejects these bills. We will not sign this farmers’ death warrant, ”said Congress’s Partap Singh Bajwa.
The prime minister must explain why there is a rush to pass the bills amid the pandemic. It should explain what the farm bills would do for the farming community in the short and long term and how it will help achieve the government’s goal of doubling farmers’ incomes, said former Prime Minister and MP Janata Dal (Secular) HD Devegowda.
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