Economists sought these reforms for decades, says Arvind Panagariya on passage of Farm Bills

New Delhi [India], September 20 (ANI): Former Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, Arvind Panagariya on Sunday called the passage of farm bills in Rajya Sabha a watershed moment, and added that economists have sought these reforms for decades.
Replying to a tweet by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Panagariya said that he is glad that opposition was unable to stop the passage of bills despite using all kinds of 'spurious arguments'.
"Indeed, a watershed moment! These are reforms economists have sought for one to two decades. So glad the opposition was unable to defeat them despite taking recourse to all kinds of spurious arguments," he tweeted.
Amid the ongoing protests from the Opposition and farmers in several parts of the country, the Rajya Sabha today passed 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. Both of these bills were passed by the Lower House with a voice vote a couple of days back.
Meanwhile, the Congress is planning to hold a nationwide agitation against the Centre accusing it of supporting corporates. A meeting in this regard has been called by the party on September 21.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi have accused the Modi government of helping industrialists through these bills. On the other hand, the government has defended the farm bills, saying these have been brought to benefit farmers. (ANI)