Farmers Movement Archive

Parliament clears Farm Laws Repeal Bill without a debate

The Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021 was passed by both Houses of Parliament on Monday without discussion amid protests by Opposition MPs on being denied a debate. On the first day of the winter session, as expected, the Government had listed the Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021 for taking back the three contentious farm laws — Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 — but it was not clear that any debate would be allowed before the repeal. Opposition leaders had expressed apprehension even before the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meetings of both Houses that the Government would want to clear the Bill without discussion. No consensus on a discussion was reached in the BAC meeting. In the Lok Sabha which was adjourned till 12 noon after it convened due to ongoing protests by the Opposition on farm Bill related issues, the Repeal Bill was taken up as soon as the House reconvened. Opposition MPs from the DMK and the Trinamool were in the Well when Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar stood to introduce the Bill, demanding that discussion be allowed. Congress MPs were in their seats but they too raised the demand for a discussion. Speaker Om Birla said unless the House was in order he would not allow a discussion. “I will allow the discussion only when the House is in order,” he repeatedly said and asked Mr. Tomar to proceed first with introducing and then taking up the Bill for consideration and passing. Leader of the Congress Legislature Party in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Choudhary intervened stating that in the past, six Acts had been repealed since 2014, and discussion had been allowed for the same and that this Bill too should come up for debate. “The word here is consideration and passing, and we ask that the bill be taken up for consideration by the House before passing,” he said. Speaker Om Birla, however, said no discussion could take place with parliamentarians crowding the Well of the House. “This is not the way one can debate bills,” he said. The Bill was then passed by voice vote and the House adjourned till 2 p.m. In Rajya Sabha, after two adjournments in the first half of the day, the House met at 2 p.m. to repeal the laws.

The Hindu

2021-11-30

NEW DELHI