Bills to repeal farm laws to come in Lok Sabha on Day 1 of Parliament's Winter Session

The government will bring a Bill to repeal the three contentious farm laws in Lok Sabha on Monday, the first day of the Winter Session of Parliament.

The Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021 will be tabled by Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.

It aims to repeal the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 and to amend the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

The debate on the Bill would be keenly watched as both the ruling and the Opposition are expected to corner each other on the issue.

Read | Early signs of turbulence

The decision to repeal the Bill was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through a televised address to the nation on November 19, a move which was seen as an attempt to minimise any electoral impact in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. The Bill was also cleared by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday.

A large number of farmers are camping on Delhi's borders -- Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur -- with Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and protesting against the farm bills since 26 November, 2020. They had said they would decide on the next course of action after Parliament passes the Bill while insisting that a law providing statutory backing for MSP should also be passed.

They had also demanded strict action against Mishra and compensation for around 700 farmers who had died during the past one year during protest.

Also read | Stir will continue till farmers' demands are met: Rakesh Tikait

The Opposition has already demanded that the Bill be introduced on the first day of the Winter Session and wanted the government to bring a bill to provide legal backing for Minimum Support Price, one of the demands also put forward by the protesting farmers.

They will also demand the sacking of Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra, who is linked to the killings of farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri.

The government has not made its decision on the demand for providing legal backing for MSP while it appears that it has dug its heels on the issue of sacking Mishra, whose son was arrested for allegedly running over his vehicle over protesting farmers killing four of them. Another journalist was also killed by the vehicle

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