P Chidambaram questions practicality of Centre's MSP promise on passage of farm bills

On Monday, Congress MP P Chidambaram alleged that the promise of guaranteeing Minimum Support Price to the farmers by PM Modi and other Ministers was impossible to implement. This comes in the wake of The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 being passed by both Houses of Parliament. Observing that millions of private transactions will take place daily in thousands of villages across India, Chidambaram questioned the capability of the Centre in ensuring that MSP is ensured in these transactions. 

According to him, there was no law that mandated a private purchaser to pay MSP to a farmer in a transaction. The Congress MP urged the Union government to stop lying to the farmers. Earlier, he had alleged that the Modi government has undermined the three pillars of food security- MSP, public procurement, and the Public Distribution System. 

Read: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar Hails Passage Of Farm Bills, Criticises Opposition

What are the farm bills? 

The aforesaid bills were introduced by Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to replace the ordinances promulgated on June 5. The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 aims at freeing the farmers from the constraints of the state Agriculture Produce Market Committees whereby they would be able to sell their produce anywhere. On the other hand, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 protects and empowers farmers to engage with processors, wholesalers, large retailers, exporters for farm services. Another farm bill passed by the Lok House- The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 is pending in the Rajya Sabha. 

Read: No Order Given To Lathi-charge Farmers In Pipli: Khattar

Opposition pens joint letter

Meanwhile, 15 opposition parties including Congress wrote a joint letter to President Ram Nath Kovind urging him to not give assent to the farm bills passed by Parliament. While the farm bills were cleared via voice vote, the parties highlighted that a division of votes was not allowed by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Harivansh Narayan Singh. Moreover, they accused the Centre of not building consensus on extending the duration of the proceedings beyond 1 pm. In another serious charge, the letter alleged that half of the RS members sitting in the Lok Sabha chamber were not permitted to participate in any manner. Condemning the alleged "brazen act" of the Union government, they claimed that it did not have the support to clear the bills.

Read: 'Against Happiness Of Farmers': Amit Shah Slams Opposition For Objecting Farm Bills

(Image credits: PTI)