INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The Bills, which were first introduced ordinances on 5 June, seek to pave the way for private players to purchase
agriculture produce outside APMCs and amend the various laws capping their stockpiling, procurement and storage
Lok Sabha,
passed the controversial Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection)
Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill on Thursday, following which a minister from Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), one of BJP's
oldest ally, quit the Cabinet as mark of her protest.The Bills, which were promulgated as ordinances on 5 June, seek to pave the way for
entry of private players in agriculture and promote hurdle-free sale of produce, which until now were regulated by various laws capping
However, protesting farmers argue that the new bill will bring about corporate dominance in the agro sector.Various opposition parties also
opposed the legislation arguing that the much touted reform will pave the way for privatisation of agricultural sector
Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal announced at the floor of Lok Sabha by her husband and party president Sukhbir Singh Badal.The Bills were
passed two days after the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was passed by the Lok Sabha
The proposed legislation seeks to remove commodities like cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onion and potatoes from the list of
essential commodities, ending the imposition of stock-holding limits except under extraordinary circumstances.After the passage of the
Bills, Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said farmers will now have freedom for direct marketing of their produce and will be able to get
The minister, however, clarified that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) procurement system will continue to remain in place.Farmers' Produce
Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020The Bill seeks to provide for the creation of an ecosystem where the farmers and
traders enjoy the freedom of choice relating to sale and purchase of farmers' produce, as against an older system where the farmers were
removing these limitations, envisions an environment where remunerative prices for agricultural goods can be facilitated through competitive
They can straight up trade their goods to a private player
Furthermore, there will be a separate dispute resolution mechanism for the farmers
The bill also has provisions to help farmers of regions with surplus produce to get better prices for their produce, according to
framework on farming agreements that protects and empowers farmers to engage with agri-business firms, processors, wholesalers, exporters or
large retailers for farm services and sale of future farming produce at a mutually agreed remunerative price framework in a fair and
transparent manner.The bill is intended to shift the risk of market unpredictability from the farmer to the sponsor and also enable the
farmer to access modern technology and better inputs
It will reduce cost of marketing and improve income of farmers
The proposed legislation will act as a catalyst to attract private sector investment for building supply chains for supply of Indian farm
against any recovery under the Bill.Treasury, Opposition Benches clash over BillsMoving the two Bills for passage in the House, Tomar said
that the two bills aim to make farmers prosperous and legislations will not impact the provisions of minimum support price (MSP).He said the
bill does not encroach on the rights of state Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC)s and inter-state trade can take place
Tomar said the states impose levies to the tune of 2 to 8.5 percent as mandi tax, but under the new regime farmers need not pay these taxes
if they choose to sell their produce outside the APMC framework."These two bills make farming profitable and prosperous and will also give
Farmers will have the right to sell their produce to anyone
There will be no tax of state government or central government on trade outside mandis
Now only 50-60 people do trade in mandis and competition exists among themselves," the minister said.Tomar said that these bills will be
able to meet the requirements of farming in the future and lead to more investment in agriculture.Meanwhile, the Opposition slammed the
"There is a sinister attempt by the Centre to legislate on subjects under the state list," said Mahua Moitra, Trinamool MP.Opposition MPs
said the Bills would take away the safety nets provided by the state regulations through the APMC Act, while also eroding the revenue
Acquisition Act, whether in the industrial system through the weakening the labour courts and now this three pronged attack."Trinamool
bargaining powers.The Congress said the farm sector legislations brought in by the government defeat the purpose of the Green Revolution and
will be "a death knell for the future of farming"
Congress MPs staged a protest in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue in the Parliament cmplex, while Gill, Ravneet Singh Bittu, Gurjit Singh
Aujla and Amar Singh burnt copies of the Bills.Farmers stage protest against BillsFarmers blocked major highways in parts of Punjab and
Haryana on 16 September to demand that the proposed laws should not be pursued in Parliament
current system of open-ended Food Corporation of India procurement, leaving them at the mercy of traders' predatory practices.Over 250
farmer and farm-worker organisations, under the umbrella of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), have given a call for
a Bharat bandh on 25 September.Farmers in Punjab have organised a three-day protest against the Bills
Despite reassurances from the government, farmers believe that the bills will render the current MSP procurement system ineffective, leaving
Union (Chaduni) and announced continuation of their protest across the State
over their weighted average cost of production and non-payment of MSPs to be recognised a punishable offence
said, according to a Down To Earth report.With inputs from PTIFind latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on
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