Rajya Sabha passes two farm Bills amid fierce protests

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  Rajya Sabha passes two farm Bills amid fierce protests

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Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

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Key points –

1. Two of the three agriculture-related legislation piloted by the Narendra Modi government, aimed at liberalising the farm sector, have been passed by the Rajya Sabha by voice vote amid a din as the Opposition parties, enraged by the refusal of Deputy Chairman Harivansh to allow voting on resolutions they moved, broke microphones, stood up on tables and flung papers in the air.
2. The legislation — the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, had already been cleared by the Lok Sabha.

Death warrants: Congress – 

1. The Congress, the Trinamool Congress, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, the Samajwadi Party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Aam Aadmi Party and the two Left parties vehemently opposed the Bills, asking the government to send them to a Parliament panel for further scrutiny.
2. Congress MP Pratap Singh Bajwa said his party would not sign the “death warrant” of farmers.

The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 – 

1. The new legislation will create an ecosystem where the farmers and traders will enjoy freedom of choice of sale and purchase of agri-produce.
2. It will also promote barrier-free inter-state and intra-state trade and commerce outside the physical premises of markets notified under State Agricultural Produce Marketing legislations.
3. The farmers will not be charged any cess or levy for sale of their produce and will not have to bear transport costs.
4. The Bill also proposes an electronic trading in transaction platform for ensuring a seamless trade electronically.
5. In addition to mandis, freedom to do trading at farmgate, cold storage, warehouse, processing units etc.
6. Farmers will be able to engage in direct marketing thereby eliminating intermediaries resulting in full realization of price.
7. Procurement at Minimum Support Price will continue, farmers can sell their produce at MSP rates, the MSP for Rabi season will be announced next week.
8. Mandis will not stop functioning, trading will continue here as before. Under the new system, farmers will have the option to sell their produce at other places in addition to the mandis.
9. The e-NAM trading system will also continue in the mandis.
10. Trading in farm produce will increase on electronic platforms. It will result in greater transparency and time saving.

Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

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