BJD issues three-line whip to its Rajya Sabha MPs to be present today

Biju Janta Dal (BJD) has issued a three-line whip, asking its Rajya Sabha MPs to be present in the House on Sunday (September 20).

It is worth noticing that Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar has moved agriculture sector Bills in the Rajya Sabha today. 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.

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.

Hailing the passage of the bills, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had described this proposed legislation as historic and said that they will rid farmers and the farm sector of middlemen and other bottlenecks. The Prime Minister further stated that these agrarian reforms will open new doors for farmers to sell their produce, which will fetch them more profit for their produce.

( With inputs from ANI )