After Punjab, Rajasthan tables 3 Bills to counter Centre’s farm laws

Jaipur, October 31

The Rajasthan Government on Saturday introduced three Bills in the Assembly to negate the impact of the farm laws enacted by the Centre recently.

The move comes after the Punjab Assembly earlier this month adopted a resolution against the farm laws and unanimously passed four Bills to counter the Centre’s contentious legislations.

Rajasthan’s Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal introduced the Essential Commodities (Special Provisions and Rajasthan Amendment) Bill 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill 2020 and the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation and Rajasthan Amendment) Bill 2020.

Proposed provisions

• Sale or purchase of a crop under farming agreement on a price equal or greater than minimum support price
• Three to seven years’ imprisonment for harassment of farmers with or without a fine of Rs5 lakh
• State may levy fee or cess on produce bought or sold by a corporate for the welfare of farmers

Dhariwal also introduced the Code of Procedure (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill 2020 on the first day of the Assembly session. A number of provisions to protect the interests of farmers, including sale or purchase of a crop under farming agreement on a price equal or greater than minimum support price and imprisonment of three to seven years for harassment of farmers with or without a fine of Rs 5 lakh, have been included in the Bills.

The Congress leadership has suggested that states where it is in power should pass laws of their own to counter the central legislations that had triggered farmers’ protests in several parts of the country. In the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation and Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, one of the proposed amendments pertains to regulation of notified agriculture produce. — PTI

Punjab BJP youth wing gen secy quits

Chandigarh: Punjab BJP youth wing general secretary Barinder Singh Sandhu on Saturday resigned from the primary membership of the party over the farm laws. Sandhu backed the ongoing agitation by farm unions, arhtiyas, small traders and labourers. inside

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