3 FARM SECTOR BILLS INTRODUCED IN LS, CENTRE SAYS MSP WILL STAY

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Monday introduced three bills in the Lok Sabha on the farm sector asserting the minimum support price(MSP) for agriculture produce is here to stay as farmers in Punjab continued their protests against the proposed laws.

“I want to assure on behalf of the government that MSP was there, is there, and will continue to be there,” agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar told the lower house on the first day of the Monsoon session of Parliament amid opposition by the Congress and other non-BJP parties against the legislations.

Tomar introduced ‘The Farmers’ Produce Trade And Commerce (Promotion And Facilitation) Bill’ and ‘The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill’, while minister of state for consumer affairs, food and public distribution Raosaheb Danve introduced ‘The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill’. The bills seek to replace the ordinances promulgated by the government earlier.

The opposition parties have alleged that the new laws will undermine the safety net provided to the farmers by the MSP system.