'Can govt assure no farmer suicides after passage of Agriculture bills?' asks Sanjay Raut

As the contentious Agriculture bills made their way to the Rajya Sabha on Sunday, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut attacked the Central Government demanding assurance that and no farmer would commit suicide after the passage of the bills and their income would be doubled.

“Can the Government assure the country that after the passing of the agriculture reform bills, farmers' income will double and no farmer will commit suicide? A special session should be called to discuss these bills,” Raut said in the Upper House.

The Shiv Sena leader said farmers did their jobs even during the lockdown when the rest of us stayed at home. Today farmers in Punjab and Haryana have taken to the streets in protest. There is definitely some confusion in the bill, he added.

“The Government is saying that there is just a rumour about the MSP. How is it possible that a Union Minister resigned on the basis of rumours?” he asked.

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The proposed legislation by the BJP is facing staunch opposition from farmer bodies as well as from within the ruling coalition. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the food processing minister from the Shiromani Akali Dal party, resigned from the government last week.

KK Ragesh (CPI), Derek O'Brien (TMC), Trichi Siva (DMK) and KC Venugopal (Congress) moved resolutions for sending the two bills to a select committee of the House for consideration before they are taken up for passage in the Rajya Sabha. Opposition parties, as well as SAD, feel the bills are the first step toward removing the MSP which will force the farmers to make distress sales to private companies.

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What are the Agriculture bills?

The aforesaid bills were introduced by Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to replace three ordinances promulgated on June 5. As per the Centre, The Essential Commodities Act, 1955 was amended to ensure that the farmers get a good price on many commodities. Items such as food grains, oil, dal, pulses, potato have been removed from the purview of this Act. 

READ | Agri Bills Introduced In Rajya Sabha; Tomar Said MSP Will Continue

Meanwhile, 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. Three main political parties in Punjab- Congress, AAP and Shiromani Akali Dal have united against these bills.

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