Farm bill anti-farmer: Jharkhand CM

Parliament recently passed the Farmer's 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. They now await presidential assent.

These bills will only benefit companies and traders, Soren, who was accompanied by state agriculture minister Alamgir Alam, told reporters. "This will be the biggest attack on the federal structure of the country so far," the chief minister said as he termed the bills "anti-farmer".

He also said that if these bills become Acts, then states should have the freedom to implement them. "The central government must listen to the people or they will be forced to come on streets and protest," Soren said.

He said that the Centre had not consulted states before bringing the bills in Parliament and therefore, they are "undemocratic". Protests were held in some parts of the state against the bills under the Bharat Bandh call given by several organisations.