Amid opposition ruckus, Rajya Sabha passes agriculture bills

Despite an uproar by the Opposition MPs, the Farmers' and Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 were passed in the Rajya Sabha on Sunday.

The Upper House of the Parliament, which witnessed a ruckus from the opposition over the Bills, has been adjourned till 9 am on Monday. 

The ruckus was created when Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar was replying to the concerns raised by opposition MPs.

Opposition MPs raised slogans against the government and some also throw out the papers in the Upper House. TMC MP Derek O'Brien entered the well of the House and showed the rule book to Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, during a discussion in the House on agriculture Bills.

The House witnessed continuous sloganeering by Opposition MPs in the well of the House, against the agriculture Bills. 

Both Bills were passed by the Lower House with a voice vote a couple of days back.

The government has stressed that the bills will act as a protection shield for farmers and accused those opposing the measures of standing with middlemen and deceiving and lying to the farmers.

As many as 10,000 Farmers Producer Organizations (FPO) will be formed across the country, through which farmers will be able to get quality inputs and the right price in the market, Narendra Singh Tomar said on Friday.

Many opposition parties, including the Congress, TMC, TRS and several others have spoken against the three bills for agricultural reforms and have termed them as 'anti-farmer and pro-corporate'.

Farmers of Punjab and Haryana are protesting against these bills. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, a minister from the Akali Dal quota in the central government, resigned from the post on Thursday on these bills.