Farmers from Punjab, Haryana stage protest in Delhi over agricultural bills; detained

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, September 16

Farmers from Punjab and Haryana staged a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi against bills on food and agriculture reform on Wednesday.

Police detained the farmers while they were protesting. The Centre introduced the Bills on food and agriculture reform in the Lok Sabha on Monday. The proposed legislations seek to provide barrier-free trade for farmers’ produce outside notified farm mandis, and empower farmers to enter into farming agreements with private players before production for sale of agri-produce.

The Farmers’ Produce Trade And Commerce (Promotion And Facilitation) Bill, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill were introduced in parliament on Monday.

Farmers have maintained that they are being forced to take to streets because of the apathetic attitude of the central government over their demand for the withdrawal of the Bills.

Farmers have expressed apprehension that these would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system and they would be at the “mercy” of big corporates.