Farmers protesting against the Centre’s agricultural laws on Friday passed a resolution against the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (P...
Farmers protesting against the Centre’s agricultural laws on Friday passed a resolution against the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, PTI reported. Friday was the second day of the “kisan sansad” or farmers parliament at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. It coincides with the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
The farmers also discussed how the Centre’s three new farm legislations destroyed the mandi or agricultural markets system, according to The Indian Express.
According to the government, the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, aims to create trading opportunities for farmers outside state-run Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees or APMCs. It is also referred to as the “APMC bypass Act”. However, development economist Jean Drèze said last year that the Act gives “sweeping powers” to the Centre to regulate trade outside the APMCs.
On Friday, the protestors said the Act undermined the Constitution and demanded its repeal. “Farmers need much higher number of operating mandis and not fewer mandis,” a statement from the protesting farmers read, according to PTI.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella of over 40 farmers’ unions and associations, had appointed a speaker, a deputy speaker and an agriculture minister for Friday’s session. There was also a question hour.
Ravneet Singh Brar, who...
