Central govt's credibility is low on making promises: TMC MP Derek O'Brien

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O'Brien on Sunday alleged that the central government's credibility is low on making promises.

"PM Modi said that the Opposition is misleading the farmers. You (Centre) said double farmer income by 2022. But, at current rates, the farmer income will not be doubled before 2028. Your credibility is low to make promises. I can also give big speeches," Derek O'Brien said during a debate in the Rajya Sabha.

"In Bengal, from 90,000 Rs in 2011, the farmers' income has tripled and it is Rs 2,90,000. So do not give us lectures. You have given a lecture on demonetisation and what happened, tell us. You talk about digital India and you have no data for answering. You talk about giving employment to 2 crore youths and unemployment is all-time-high," he added.

He further said that "Central government is fooling. States were not consulted before drafting the ordinance. They have violated the spirit of co-operative federalism."

TMC MP Derek O'Brien entered the well and showed the House rule book to Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, during a discussion in the House on agriculture Bills.

"They have broken every rule of the Parliament. It was a historic day, in the worst sense of the word. They cut RSTV feed so the country couldn't see. They censored RSTV," TMC MP Derek said O'Brien after an uproar in the House on farm bills.

Earlier three Opposition leaders--CPI(M)'s KK Ragesh, TMC's Derek O'Brien and DMK's T Siva-- moved an amendment to send the two agricultural Bills to the Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha on Sunday.

This came after Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar moved two agriculture Bills in the Rajya Sabha. Later these bills were passed in the Rajya Sabha.

These Bills are -- Farmers' and Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020. Both of them were passed by the Lower House with a voice vote a couple of days back.

Moving the Bills, the Minister had said, "The two Bills are historic and will bring a change in the lives of the farmers. They will be able to freely trade their produce anywhere in the country. I want to assure the farmers that these Bills are not related to Minimum Support Price."

The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 permits the electronic trading of farmers' produce and allows the setting up transaction platforms for facilitating direct online buying and selling of farm products.

The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 provides for a farming agreement prior to the production or rearing of any farm produce. A guaranteed price to be paid for the purchase of farming produce will be mentioned in such agreements.

( With inputs from ANI )