Congress-ruled Rajasthan follows Punjab; tables own bills to counter Centre's farms laws

Congress government in Rajasthan on Saturday introduced three Bills in state assembly to counter new agriculture laws enacted by Centre recently. Rajasthan becomes second Congress-ruled state after Punjab to introduce new farm bills to counter Central laws, citing “extraordinary outr” among farmers.

State Parliamentary Affairs minister Shanti Kumar Dhariwal introduced Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2020; Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2020; and, Essential Commodities (Special Provisions and Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2020, on first day of Assembly session.

Bills were tabled following a similar move in Punjab Assembly, where a resolution was adopted and four Bills were passed last week to counter Central laws. Rajasthan Cabinet had recently decided to convene a special session of Assembly to protect interests of farmers

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What are three bills?

proposed legislations have several provisions to address farmers' concerns about livelihood security and minimum support prices (MSP) regime.

Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2020 seeks to penalise traders, if y harass farmers, with a punishment of 3-7 years or a minimum fine of Rs 5 lakh, or both. 
According to Bill, harassment will be treated as committed when trader does t accept delivery of farm produce agreed upon or, having accepted delivery, does t make payment to farmer in accordance with terms of agreement.

bill also states that farming agreement for sale or purchase of a crop would be valid unless price paid was equal to, or greater than, prevailing MSP anunced by Central government.

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Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2020 seeks to impose fee or cess on tified agricultural produce bought by a corporate or trader and for resolution of disputes between farmer and a trader through Agricultural Produce Markets Act. This provision will restore powers of civil courts in dispute resolution.

Essential Commodities (Special Provisions and Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2020, is proposed to protect consumers from hoarding and black-marketing of agricultural produce and secure interests of farmers. Unlike Central Act which had removed ceiling on stock of farm commodities, Bill sought to give powers to State government to regulate production, supply and distribution and impose stock limits under extraordinary circumstances.

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