Opposition continued to create ruckus and Modi government passed agriculture bill in Rajya Sabha, freedom to sell crop to farmers anywhere

New Delhi: In the Rajya Sabha, agricultural bills have been passed amidst heavy opposition from the opposition. The Rajya Sabha has also approved the Agricultural Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Simplification) Bill-2020 and the Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Price Assurance Agreement and the Agreements on Agricultural Services Bill-2020, already passed before the Lok Sabha. Where the Opposition demanded to send the Bills to the Select Committee, the Government, while addressing the concerns of the Opposition, said that these Bills would prove to be revolutionary for the farmers. Agriculture Minister said that procurement of farmers' produce will continue to be done on MSP, there should be no doubt about it.

Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar introduced the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Simplification) Bill 2020 and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Price Assurance and Agreements Bill on Agricultural Services, 2020, which were discussed in length. However, many members of the opposition created a lot of uproar before the bill was passed. Coming into the Well, some MPs tore the copy of the bill, threw the Rule Book on the Deputy Chairman and broke the posture mike. After this, the proceedings of the House had to be postponed for some time.

Responding to the discussion on the Bills, the opposition tried to address the concerns expressed by it. Amid the uproar, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that PM Modi ji, after assuming office in 2014, said that his government would work to double the income of farmers. This is not the only bill that works for this. Many efforts have been made in six years to double the income of the farmers.

Earlier, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar introduced these Bills and said that as per the provisions of these Bills, farmers will be able to sell their crops anywhere and they will have the freedom to sell the crop at the desired price. He said that provisions have also been made to provide protection to the farmers. Tomar said that a provision has also been made in this that price assurance has to be given at the time of sowing.

He said that it was felt that farmers should have options to sell their crops as there was no transparency in APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee). Tomar said that the provisions of both the bills will increase competition in the market and farmers will get better prices. He said that some assumptions are being made about the Bill which is not correct and it is not related to MSP. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also said that the MSP is intact and it will continue.

The Congress accused the government of abolishing the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and to bring benefits to the corporate world, both with a new agricultural bill. In the Rajya Sabha, Pratap Singh Bajwa of Congress alleged that both the bills are an injury to the soul of the farmers, it has been wrongly drafted and introduced at the wrong time. He said that thousands of corona virus cases are being reported every day and there is tension with China on the border.

Trinamool Congress 'Derek O'Brien, DMK's T Siva and Congress' KC Venugapol introduced their amendments and demanded that both bills be referred to the Select Committee. Naresh Gujral of the Shiromani Akali Dal, stating both the bills against the farmers of Punjab, demanded that they be sent to the Select Committee. He said that the government should not consider the farmers of Punjab as weak. The government should look into the discontent of the farmers of Punjab and Haryana and should not let the spark that is being built there be converted into fire. SS Dhindsa also demanded the government to have a comprehensive discussion on the issue and send both the Bills to the Select Committee.

Praful Patel of NCP said that the government should have consulted various parties before bringing these bills. AAP's Sanjay Singh said that both the bills are completely against the farmers. He alleged that the central government wants to take over the rights of the states through various laws. Singh demanded that the states pay their GST dues, alleging that this government makes assurances and promises but does not fulfill them. He said that the government promised to double the income of farmers, promised to fold the MSP by one and a half times, promised employment to the youth but did not fulfill any promise.

Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale stated both the bills in the interest of farmers and said that this would give them a better market. He said that the entire focus of the government is on the farmers and they are trying to improve their situation. Bhupendra Yadav of BJP said that the situation in both these bills should be considered. He said that farmers have been craving for justice for 70 years and these bills are the biggest reforms in the agricultural sector. He said that both the bills will give digital power to the farmers and they will get better price for their produce. Apart from this, they will be able to get better market and can also get value addition.

SP's Ram Gopal Yadav said, "It seems that there is a compulsion due to which the government is in a hurry". Was wanted But he did not talk to anyone. The government did not even talk to the BJP-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh. "Yadav asked where the farmer would go to sell his crop?