Pesticides Management Bill gets Cabinet nod

Tribune News Service

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New Delhi, February 12

A Bill to regulate business of pesticides, compensate farmers in case of losses from usage of spurious agro-chemicals and promote organic pesticides will be introduced in the ongoing session of Parliament, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said after the Union Cabinet today approved the Pesticides Management Bill, 2020.

“As far as farmers are concerned, who happen to be our primary concern, the Pesticides Management Bill will be introduced in this session of Parliament. Today pesticide business is regulated by 1968 rules, which have become old and need immediate rewriting,” he said, describing the Bill as “yet another step by the Narendra Modi government for the welfare of farmers”.

A Bill in this regard was presented in 2008 and discussed by the Standing Committee, the minister said, adding that after taking cue from its recommendations, the new Bill was drafted.

“The main objective is to protect the interest of farmers and ensure they get safe and effective pesticides. Secondly, he (farmer) will not get spurious pesticides. Because many a time he is at the receiving end if he gets spurious pesticides,” he added.

Javadekar said farmers would also be empowered to get all information as the data would be in open source and in all languages. “More importantly he will know about the strength and weakness of pesticides, the risk and alternatives and this will be an open data in digital format also,” he said, adding that the proposed law also intended to promote organic pesticides.

The minister said all pesticide manufacturers have to be registered and bound by the new Act, once it is passed. Even their advertisements will be regulated that there should be no confusion or no cheating in any way of the farmers. “If there is any loss because of the spurious or low quality of pesticides then there is a provision for compensations. This is unique feature of this bill. The penalties collected from the companies and will form a central fund which will take care of compensation,” Javadekar said.