Passage of Agricultural Bills to Empower Farmers, Says Niti Aayog VC Rajiv Kumar

Welcoming the passage of two bills related to the farm sector in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar said the legislation will empower farmers and have a “colossal impact” on the future of agriculture in the country. 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, even as the Congress, DMK and Revolutionary Socialist Party members staged a walkout.

“The Lok Sabha passes Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 & The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 – historic day!,” Kumar said in a series of tweets. He further said the legislation will not only empower but also create a fair and free ecosystem for farmers and traders alike, thereby fostering a spirit of friendly competition and improving trader transparency.

For the first time, he said, farmers can proudly sell directly from their farms, igniting in them a sense of entrepreneurial freedom without the risk of trader exploitation. “The Bills passed today will have colossal impact on future of agriculture in our country,” Kumar noted.

Niti Aayog member Ramesh Chand said the legislations will transform the destiny of farmers. “A historical day for Indian agriculture as Lok Sabha passed 2 farming bills. This will lay foundation for changing destiny of farmers towards prosperity and take India on path to become global power in agriculture,” Chand tweeted.

Another bill related to the farm sector, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, was passed on Tuesday. These three bills will replace ordinances promulgated by the government earlier.