NEW DELHI: Amid huge uproar by the Opposition members, the Rajya Sabha on Sunday passed two contentious farm bills, which have triggered protests by farmers at several places.
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 rejected demand of several opposition parties to send the two bills to a Rajya Sabha Select Committee for greater scrutiny. These bills will now be sent to the President of India for assent.
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, as reported by a news agency.
While TRS government in Telangana opposed the bill, Andhra Pradesh’s YSRCP government supported the bills. TRS leader K Keshava Rao said.
“You are trying to convert this country from an agriculture country to a corporate country.”
YSRCP MP Vijay Sai Reddy said the Congress’ opposition to the Bills is hypocratic as the manifesto of the party in 2019 promised exactly what the Bill proposes now. His comments against the Congress created a brief commotion in the House.
Meanwhile, the Congress and other opposition party member sat in protest inside Rajya Sabha even after the House was adjourned for the day after the passage of two farm bills. Members of the Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK, Left parties and some others sat in protest inside the Rajya Sabha chamber even after it was adjourned.
Earlier the House witnessed uproarious scenes when some opposition members led by the TMC climbed on to the chairman’s podium and tried to teat the bill. Slogan-shouting opposition members, including those from the TMC, Congress and Left, created ruckus after Deputy Chairman Harivansh did not consider their demand for a division of votes on a resolution to send the two bills to a select committee.
