Two farm bills clear Rajya Sabha hurdle amid protests
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| Two farm bills clear Rajya Sabha hurdle amid protests |
New Delhi : The Rajya Sabha on Sunday passed two contentious farm Bills, which have triggered protests by farmers at several places, amid uproar by Opposition members.
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 the 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.
Two farm bills clear Rajya Sabha hurdle amid protests
 |
| Two farm bills clear Rajya Sabha hurdle amid protests |
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.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the two Bills and said it was a watershed moment in the history of Indian agriculture.
In a series of tweets, he welcomed the reforms in the two Bills passed by the Rajya Sabha today.
BJP national president JP Nadda hailed the passage of farm Bills and demanded action against all Opposition MPs who were part of the chaos in the Rajya Sabha.
Nadda said the conduct of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha during the passage of bills was highly irresponsible and was an attack on democracy.
Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar also hailed the historic move by the Rajya Sabha.
Farmers in Punjab burn copies of farm bills
The Opposition members walked into the Well and also tried to use force to tamper with the public address system at the Chair’s Desk.
TMC, other Opposition members climb Chairman's podium after their demand for voting on the motion to send farm bills to select panel was not considered.
The protest erupted at the extension of the House beyond the scheduled time today for the passage of the Bills. Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the extension should have been through consensus and not the number of the ruling party.
Ruckus erupts in the Rajya Sabha as Opposition rushes to Well of House over agriculture-related bills, during the ongoing Monsoon Session at the Parliament House in New Delhi, Sunday, September 20, 2020. (RSTV/PTI Photo)
He suggested to carry on the proceedings for passage of the Bills tomorrow, which was not accepted by the Chair.
Deputy Chairman Harivansh was presiding over the proceedings when the protest erupted.
The lay of the Rajya Sabha suggested that the government had the numbers to get the Bills passed.
Meanwhile, the House was adjourned amidst the logjam.
Before the protest, motions from the Opposition benches to send the bills to House’s Select Committee were negated by a voice vote.
The House was resumed after a brief period of adjournment.
Opposition members continue with their protest in the Well amidst the Chair continue the proceedings to pass the Bills with the amendments move against them getting defeated one after another.
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