President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday evening gave his assent to the three farm bills that were passed in the Parliament last week amid protests in several parts of the country.
Two bills – the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill – were passed in the Parliament on September 20. The last one, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, was also approved by a voice vote in Rajya Sabha on September 22. These proposed legislations are now going to be implemented as law.
Several members of the Opposition have also flagged concerns about the legislations. On September 23, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad met Kovind, and requested him to withhold his approval to the Centre’s contentious farm bills. The meeting…