Union Cabinet to approve scrapping of three farm laws on November 24

New Delhi: The Union cabinet in its meeting on November 24 is expected to approve withdrawal of the three contentious farm laws, days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced to repeal them in the face of continuing protest by farmers.

The bills for withdrawal of the laws would then be tabled in the forthcoming Parliament session for its nod, official sources said.

In a massive U-turn, Modi had on Friday announced the government's intention to withdraw the laws which were projected as major reforms for the country's agriculture sector.

“Today I have come to tell you, the whole country, that we have decided to withdraw all three agricultural laws. In the Parliament session starting later this month, we will complete the constitutional process to repeal these three agricultural laws,” PM Modi had said on Friday in a televised address to the nation.

The three farm laws set to be scrapped are Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement On Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.

While the government has maintained that the three farm laws were intended to create an ecosystem where the farmers and traders will enjoy freedom of choice of sale and purchase of agri-produce, pave way for investment in agriculture sector and increase farmers' income, the protesting farmers have contended that the laws will eventually lead to stopping of minimum support price (MSP).

PM Modi had on Friday said that the three laws were brought for the welfare of farmers, especially small farmers, in the interest of the agriculture sector but despite best efforts of the government a section of the farmers could not be convinced about this.

He also announced the formation of a committee to promote zero budgeting based agriculture, to change crop pattern as per the changing needs of the country and to make MSP more effective and transparent.

The Committee will have representatives of the central government, state governments, farmers, agricultural scientists, and agricultural economists. (UNI)