New Delhi: The Union Cabinet today approved the Central government’s proposal to repeal the three contentious farm laws, sources said.
Chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Cabinet today cleared the ‘The Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021′ for withdrawing the three farm laws passed by the Parliament last year. The decision was taken in view of year-long protests by the farmers’ unions.
Following the Union Cabinet nod, the bill will be introduced in the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament.
The Government of India has listed ‘The Farm Laws Repeal Bilill, 2021′ in the legislative business to be taken up in Lok Sabha during the winter session of Parliament beginning 29 November.
The Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021 is aimed at rolling back three Bills passed into law last year – Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
This comes days after Modi announced the Centre’s decision to scrap the Farm Bills 2020, over which hundreds of farmers have been camping at the borders of Delhi for nearly a year.
On the occasion of Gurupurab on 19 November, the PM announced the government’s intention to withdraw the laws in the interest of the nation. The PM had also announced that the government will constitute a committee to work on a new framework for Minimum Support Price (MSP).
The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act provides for setting up a mechanism allowing the farmers to sell their farm produce outside the Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs). Any license-holder trader can buy the produce from the farmers at mutually agreed prices. This trade of farm produces will be free of mandi tax imposed by the state governments.
The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act allows farmers to do contract farming and market their produces freely.
The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act is an amendment to the existing Essential Commodities Act.