Farm bills corporate friendly, anti-farmer: C'garh minister

The three farm reform bills that await the President's assent after being passed by the Parliament are anti-farmer and corporate friendly, Chhattisgarh minister T S Singh Deo said here on Saturday.

The three farm reform bills that await the President's assent after being passed by the Parliament are anti-farmer and corporate-friendly, Chhattisgarh minister T S Singh Deo said here on Saturday. If these bills become law, they are bound to facilitate an unhealthy corporate system prevalent in agriculture sectors of the US and other developed countries that devastates farmers, the minister said.

"These bills are anti-farmer and will help corporate houses. They are going to facilitate the corporate system in agriculture akin to Australia, France, England and the US and raise suicide rate among cultivators," Deo told reporters at the state Congress office here. He further said with no provision of Minimum Support Price (MSP), poor farmers will face great hardship, which will lead to more suicides.

The 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 have been passed in both the Houses of Parliament. At least 18 opposition parties have urged President Ram Nath Kovind not to sign the contentious bills, alleging that they were passed "unconstitutionally" in "complete disregard" of parliamentary norms.