Agriculture reform bills will rid farmers of middlemen, other bottlenecks, assures PM Narendra Modi

Moments after the Lok Sabha passed two bills related to the agriculture sector amid protests, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday assured the farmers that the agriculture reform bills will rid them of middlemen and other bottlenecks.

The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill were passed by voice vote as the Congress, DMK and Revolutionary Socialist Party members staged a walkout. Protests were held by the Opposition and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), a constituent of the ruling NDA. 

Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, PM Modi stated that a lot of power is engaged in confusing the farmers. He assured the farmers that the system of Minimum Support Price (MSP) and government procurement will remain the same. The PM added that these bills are "really going to empower the farmers by giving them many more options".

किसानों और कृषि क्षेत्र से जुड़े सभी लोगों से मेरा अनुरोध है कि वे लोकसभा में कृषि सुधार विधेयकों पर चर्चा के दौरान कृषि मंत्री @nstomar जी द्वारा दिए गए भाषण को जरूर सुनें। #JaiKisan https://t.co/IPbQpBgGRq — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 17, 2020

PM Modi tweeted, "A lot of power is engaged in confusing the farmers. I assure my farmer brothers and sisters that the system of MSP and government procurement will remain. These bills are really going to empower the farmers by giving them many more options. This agrarian reform will provide new opportunities for farmers to sell their produce, which will increase their profits. With this, our agriculture sector will get the benefit of modern technology, whereas the farmers will be empowered."

"The passage of historic agrarian reform bills in the Lok Sabha is an important moment for the country's farmers and the agricultural sector. These bills will truly free the farmers from middlemen and all obstacles," he added.

किसानों को भ्रमित करने में बहुत सारी शक्तियां लगी हुई हैं। मैं अपने किसान भाइयों और बहनों को आश्वस्त करता हूं कि MSP और सरकारी खरीद की व्यवस्था बनी रहेगी। ये विधेयक वास्तव में किसानों को कई और विकल्प प्रदान कर उन्हें सही मायने में सशक्त करने वाले हैं। #JaiKisan — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 17, 2020

Posting a video, he said, "I request the farmers and all those associated with the agricultural sector to listen to the speech given by Agriculture Minister NS Tomar ji during the discussion on the agricultural reform bills in the Lok Sabha."

Union Minister for Food Processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Thursday evening resigned from the Union Cabinet in protest against the three farm bills tabled in the two Houses of Parliament. About the lone Shiromani Akali Dal's minister in the Narendra Modi government, her party announced in Lok Sabha today that Harsimrat Kaur will resign from the government.

इस कृषि सुधार से किसानों को अपनी उपज बेचने के लिए नए-नए अवसर मिलेंगे, जिससे उनका मुनाफा बढ़ेगा। इससे हमारे कृषि क्षेत्र को जहां आधुनिक टेक्नोलॉजी का लाभ मिलेगा, वहीं अन्नदाता सशक्त होंगे। #JaiKisan — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 17, 2020

Harsimrat Kaur Badal took to social media to inform that she has resigned from the Modi cabinet. In a tweet, she said, "I have resigned from Union Cabinet in protest against anti-farmer ordinances and legislation. Proud to stand with farmers as their daughter & sister."

During a discussion on two of the farm bills, the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal announced in Lok Sabha that she will quit the government.

लोकसभा में ऐतिहासिक कृषि सुधार विधेयकों का पारित होना देश के किसानों और कृषि क्षेत्र के लिए एक महत्वपूर्ण क्षण है। ये विधेयक सही मायने में किसानों को बिचौलियों और तमाम अवरोधों से मुक्त करेंगे। #JaiKisan — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 17, 2020

The Akali Dal had earlier protested against the first of three such bills, which has already been passed by the Lok Sabha.

In his speech on two of the farm bills, Sukhbir Singh Badal said the proposed laws will "destroy" the 50 years of hard work put in by successive Punjab governments and farmers to build the agriculture sector, and recalled Punjab's contribution in making India self-sufficient in food grain production as he vehemently opposed the bills.

"I want to make an announcement that our Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal will resign from Cabinet," he said in concluding remarks, refuting suggestions that his party initially supported three ordinances, which these bills seek to replace.

He asserted that Harsimrat Kaur Badal had expressed her concerns in the Cabinet meeting and also wrote to Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, highlighting "flaws" in the proposed legislation.

Sukhbir Singh Badal accused the Congress party of "doublespeak" on the issue and said that the abolition of the APMC Act was part of its manifesto in both the 2019 Lok Sabha election and the 2017 Assembly polls in Punjab.

The three bills, including the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, which has been passed by Lok Sabha, are going to affect 20 lakh farmers and 15-20 lakh farm labourers in Punjab alone, said the SAD president.

The state with 2.5 per cent of the country's landmass produces nearly 50 per cent of food grains for the country, he said, adding that Punjab's mandi system is the best in the world with a network of 1,900 setups across 12,000 villages.

Notably, the Shiromani Akali Dal is the BJP's oldest ally and it has stood by the saffron party through thick and thin.