Historic decision taken by passing Farming Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020: Ravi Shankar

New Delhi [India], September 27 (ANI): Union Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Sunday hailed the passage of Farming Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020.
Taking to Twitter, Prasad wrote, "The Narendra Modi government has taken historic decision to transform the agriculture sector by passing the Farming Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 which will create One India, One Agriculture Market."
President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday gave his assent to three farm bills passed by the Parliament in the recently-concluded monsoon session.
With this, all three bills have now become acts- The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Service Act, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
The three bills were passed by Parliament amid vehement protest by the Opposition parties. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had on Saturday quit the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over the farm bills issue.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tried to allay the fears of the farmers, saying that the country's agriculture sector has recently unshackled itself, in a reference to the agriculture reform Bills passed recently by the Parliament.
Stating that the farmers and the farm sector need to be strong to lay a strong foundation of "Atmanirbhar Bharat", the Prime Minister said, "One who is grounded stays firm even during the biggest storms. During these tough times of corona, our farm sector, our farmers are a living example of this. Even during this crisis, our agricultural sector has again shown its prowess. Our farmers, farm sector, villages, are the foundation of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'. If they are strong, the foundation of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' will be strong."
Farmers have been expressing apprehensions that the Centre's farm reforms would pave a way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big companies.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the central government has taken steps to ensure that farmers get the right price for their produce.
Speaking at an event in memory of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay, Singh said, "Our government has taken steps to ensure that the farmers get the right price for their produce. I've studied the Bills, and I am saying that the farmers will benefit from it. But some people are trying to mislead the farmers."
He said even the mandi system is going to be maintained. (ANI)