Watershed moment in Indian agriculture history, says PM Modi on Parliament clearing farm bills

New Delhi, September 20

The Rajya Sabha on Sunday passed two contentious farm Bills, which have triggered protests by farmers at several places, amid uproar by Opposition members.

Prime Minister hailed the passing of the farm Bills and described it as a watershed moment in the history of Indian agriculture.

A watershed moment in the history of Indian agriculture! Congratulations to our hardworking farmers on the passage of key bills in Parliament, which will ensure a complete transformation of the agriculture sector as well as empower crores of farmers.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 20, 2020

The two Bills — Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 — were passed by Lok Sabha on Thursday.

The House also rejected the demand of several opposition parties to send the two Bills to a Rajya Sabha Select Committee for greater scrutiny.

“These (farm) bills will ensure complete transformation of the agriculture sector and empower crores of farmers,” the Prime Minister said in a series of tweets.

Our agriculture sector is in desperate need of latest technology that assists the industrious farmers. Now, with the passage of the bills, our farmers will have easier access to futuristic technology that will boost production and yield better results. This is a welcome step.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 20, 2020

He added that farmers for decades were bound by constraints and bullied by middlemen and the bills passed by the Parliament would liberate them.

“These (farm) bills will add impetus to efforts to double the income of farmers and ensure them greater prosperity. The agriculture sector is in desperate need of the latest technology and now farmers will have easier access that will boost production,” Modi said.

For decades, the Indian farmer was bound by various constraints and bullied by middlemen. The bills passed by Parliament liberate the farmers from such adversities. These bills will add impetus to the efforts to double income of farmers and ensure greater prosperity for them.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 20, 2020

In another tweet, he said that he was reiterating it again that the system of minimum support price (MSP) and government procurement would continue.

I said it earlier and I say it once again:

System of MSP will remain.

Government procurement will continue.

We are here to serve our farmers. We will do everything possible to support them and ensure a better life for their coming generations.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 20, 2020

“We are here to serve our farmers and will ensure a better life for their coming generations,” Modi wrote in a tweet after the Parliament passed the farm bills. PTI