INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Amid the discussion over the contentious farm bills in Rajya Sabha, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Amar Patnaik on Sunday requested the government
to send both the bills to a Select Committee for examination of the legislation.On Sunday, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar
introduced in Rajya Sabha the 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.As the discussion went on, the BJD issued a whip to its Rajya
Sabha members directing them to remain present in the House on Sunday during the debate over the farm bills.Chief Whip of BJD in Rajya
Sabha, Sasmit Patra said, a three-line whip has been issued to all the Biju Janata Dal Members asking them to be positively present in the
House throughout the day.READ | Harsimrat Kaur Badal quits Modi govt: Why the farm bills are controversialThe BJD members have been informed
that their presence is required in Rajya Sabha as some important legislative business will be taken up in the House during the day, he
said.The BJD has nine members in the upper house.Various farmers' organisation across several states staged protests against the bills.While
the farmers and the Opposition have termed the farm bills as "anti-farmer" which would leave them at the "mercy" of big corporates, the
Centre said that it would open up new opportunities for them to make them "atma-nirbhar [self-reliant]".While the BJP-led National
Democratic Alliance (NDA) is yet to have a clear majority of its own in the 245-member Rajya Sabha, many regional parties have backed it for
the last several sessions to ensure passage of various legislations proposed by the government.BJP leaders expressed confidence that they
will get the support of over 130 members, including nine of the AIADMK and six of the YSR Congress -- both of whom are not part of the
ruling alliance if a division of votes is sought on these bills.WATCH | Are agriculture bills anti-farmer or reformist? The three farm bills
-- Farmers' Produce Trade And Commerce (Promotion And Facilitation) Bill; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price
Assurance and Farm Services Bill; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill -- were passed by the Lok Sabha recently.Harsimrat Kaur Badal,
the food processing minister from the Shiromani Akali Dal party, resigned from the government last week.(With inputs from PTI)
