NEW DELHI: In the wake of protests by farmers in Punjab and Haryana against three agriculture-related Bills, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday assured the farmers — through tweets in Punjabi language — that the proposed laws were historic and in their interest.
“No dilution of MSP regime; government procurement of agricultural produce to continue,” Modi said in one of the series of tweets in Punjabi, hours after the passage of two of the three contentious agricultural Bills by the Rajya Sabha.
Reiterating his government’s commitment and dubbing the passage of the farm Bills as a “watershed moment”, the Prime Minister said: “We are here to serve the farmers. We will do our best to help the farmers and ensure a better life for their future generations.”
Modi said that the Indian farming system immediate needed the latest technology.
“Our agriculture sector is in desperate need of the 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.”
“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 the income of farmers and ensure greater prosperity for them,” tweeted the Prime Minister.
Earlier in the day, the Upper House of Parliament also its nod to The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020. The Lok Sabha passed the two Bills on Thursday.
The third is The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020.