Guwahati, Oct 2 (UNI) Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has maintained that the three agricultural reform bills passed by the Parliament will empower farmers of the country and bring rapid development to the sector.
He was speaking at a seminar on ‘Agricultural Reforms Acts-Historic Steps Taken By Modi Govt.’ here yesterday, in presence of Union ministers Kiren Rijiju and Rameswar Teli.
Sonowal said the bills have paved away for removing the “mandi” system which favoured the middlemen who dictated the price of items produced by the farmers.
Now the bills have unshackled the farming sector and empowered the farmers to sell their products in any part of the country without any restrictions, he said.
The bills recently passed by the Parliament are the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020.
Saying that the bills have realised the Prime Minister’s motto of ‘sabka sath, sabka vikash, sabka viswas’, Sonowal added that ‘one nation, one market’ concept has been implemented by the passage of three bills.
The Chief Minister also said the State government has taken steps to develop the agricultural sector in the State by providing a tractor to 14,000 villages with a target of equipping all 26 thousand villages with a tractor and facilitating air cargo service through which State’s farmers can export their products to the international market.
Because of proactive roles played by both Central and State governments, Assam’s educated youths have now started taking agriculture as a means of livelihood as they have seen tremendous prospect in the sector including fishery, piggery, dairy farming etc., he added.
Speaking at the programme, Union MoS for Sports and Youth Welfare Rijiju said these bills brought by the government would give freedom to the farmers and give them the choice to sell their crop anywhere in the country.
Complete freedom has been given to the farmers as there are no restrictions in selling their products and the farmers would get mandatory support from the state to strengthen the farm sector and increase production, he added.
State Agriculture Minister Atul Bora, MP Pradan Baruah, Media Advisor to CM Hrishikesh Goswami, MLA Terosh Gowala were also present at the programme, along with agricultural scientists, progressive farmer among others.
