Farm bills need of 21st century, mandis and MSP will stay: PM

New Delhi

Farmers remained in shackles for long leading to a clique benefiting from their "compulsions", he said, adding that it needed to be changed and his government has done it. Noting that his government had brought farm ordinances, which these legislations will replace, in June, he said farmers are already getting a better price for their produce in several states.

Farmers will now have the freedom to sell their produce at a place and price of their choice, he said. Modi made the comments at a virtual ceremony to lay foundation stones of nine highway projects in Bihar and to inaugurate optical fibre internet services through which the state's all 45,945 villages will be connected.

Seeking to dispel concerns among a section of farmers, he said he wanted to make it clear that the bills are not against agriculture 'mandis' (agricultural markets) and they will continue like they always have. Two key farm bills, dubbed as the biggest reform in agriculture by the government, were on Sunday passed by Rajya Sabha with voice vote.