Bill to repeal three contentious farm laws approved Union Cabinet

The Union Cabinet adopted the Farm Regulations Abolish Bill, 2021 on Wednesday, a draught bill to repeal three controversial farm laws that have sparked significant protests outside the national capital's borders for nearly a year. According to sources acquainted with the situation, Union minister Anurag Thakur will provide the official briefing for the Cabinet meeting later in the day at the National Media Centre in New Delhi.Union minister Anurag Thakur will provide the official briefing for the Cabinet meeting later in the day at the National Media Centre in New Delhi.

The government's approval of the plan to repeal the farm regulations, which were passed by Parliament in September of last year, comes only days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the controversial measures would be repealed. The Prime Minister had declared in a televised address on Gurpurab that his government will abolish the agriculture regulations; he had also personally apologised to the people of the country and admitted that there had been a "deficiency" in attempts to persuade the farmers.

The Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021, will now be tabled in the Lok Sabha for consideration during Parliament's forthcoming winter session, which begins on November 29. The agriculture ministry is debating the exact dates for the three bills to be debated in the upcoming Parliament session, according to Union minister Prahlad Joshi.

The bill aims to repeal 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, which are among the 26 new bills on the government's agenda.

The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act establishes a system for farmers to market their farm produce outside the Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs). Farmers can sell their produce to any license-holder trader at mutually agreed-upon pricing. The mandi tax levied by state governments will not apply to this transaction of farm products.

Farmers can do contract farming and freely market their products under the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act.