Union Cabinet approves Farm Laws Repeal Bill, to be tabled in Winter Session of Parliament

The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal to withdraw the three farm laws, sources informed Republic TV. The Union Cabinet meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The farm laws were passed by the Parliament in September 2020.

The Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021 was brought up along with 26 new bills for introduction by the government. The government repealed the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance, Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

These 27 new bills will now be introduced further in the upcoming winter session of Parliament which begins from November 29.

PM Modi announced last Friday while addressing the nation on the occasion of Guru Purab that the centre will repeal the three farm laws.

He said, “Despite our best efforts, we could not convince some farmers. Even though only a section of farmers was opposing it, this was important for us nevertheless. The agricultural economists and progressive farmers tried a lot to explain the benefits of the farm laws. We tried convincing them with an open mind through various mediums- personal as well as collective. The talks were continuously going on. We didn't leave any stone unturned in listening to the arguments of farmers. The government was ready to amend the provisions of the laws to which they objected to. We also proposed to suspend these laws for two years."

What are the farm laws?

The farmers have been protesting across the country, mainly Delhi borders, against the Centre's three farm laws since they were introduced in 2020. The three farm laws are -- The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act provides for setting up a mechanism allowing the farmers to sell their farm produces outside the Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs). Any licence-holder trader can buy the produce from the farmers at mutually agreed prices. This trade of farm produces will be free of mandi tax imposed by the state governments. The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act allows farmers to do contract farming and market their produces freely. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act is an amendment to the existing Essential Commodities Act.