Rajya Sabha on Sunday passed two contentious farm bills, which have triggered protests by farmers at several places across the country.
The two bills — Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 — were passed by Lok Sabha on Thursday.
The House also rejected demand of several opposition parties to send the two bills to a Rajya Sabha Select Committee for greater scrutiny.
“Farm bills passed by Parliament will give farmers freedom in selling their produce, rid them of middlemen,” says BJP president JP Nadda.
TMC MP Derek O’Brien along with other protesting members crossed the well of the house and tore some papers during the heated Farm Bills discussions.
Opposition backlashes the government for passing the farm bills and slams the decision by raising slogans regarding the withdrawal of farm sector bills.
MP HD Deve Gowda had said in the Rajya Sabha, “PM should explain why there’s a hurry to pass the bills amid the pandemic. He should explain what would farm bills do for farming community in short and long term and how it will help in achieving government’s goal of doubling farmer’s income.”
Ruckus was created as opposition members rush to the speaker’s chair amid sloganeering. They reach the well of the house while protesting aggressively leading to adjournment till tomorrow.
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.
