Amidst the ongoing protests from the Farmer groups especially in Punjab and Haryana, the Union Food Processing Minister and MP of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Harsimrat Kaur Badal has given her official resignation from the cabinet.
The former Union Minister also took to her verified Twitter account and wrote, “I have resigned from Union Cabinet in protest against anti-farmer ordinances and legislation. Proud to stand with farmers as their daughter & sister.”
I have resigned from Union Cabinet in protest against anti-farmer ordinances and legislation. Proud to stand with farmers as their daughter & sister.
— Harsimrat Kaur Badal (@HarsimratBadal_) September 17, 2020
Harsimrat Kaur’s resignation came after the Lok Sabha passed two agricultural reform bills which Shiromani Akali Dal is claiming to be anti-farmer.
The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, proposes to promote barrier-free trade of farm produce by facilitating contract farming as well as agricultural marketing outside notified Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC).
The new bills have given rise to a fear of dilution of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) amongst the farmers as it leads to the entry of corporates in the agriculture sector with higher power to bargain on the produce.
The President of India Ram Nath Kovind post accepting the resignation from Harsimrat Kaur, transferred the duties of the Food Processing department to Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Rural Development Minister, who hailed the government for its new agricultural sector reform bills.
कृषि क्षेत्र में बदलाव का ऐतिहासिक निर्णय…
लोकसभा में पारित हुए कृषि एवं किसान सम्बन्धी विधेयक…#AatmaNirbharKrishi #JaiKisan pic.twitter.com/uVHKFBQEEF
— Narendra Singh Tomar (@nstomar) September 17, 2020
