Jalandhar: Punjab on Tuesday became the first state in the country to formally reject the Centre’s contentious farm laws, with the state assembly unanimously passing a resolution rejecting the legislations and the proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill. The state government has asked for an immediate annulment of the laws, along with a new ordinance to protect the minimum support price and ensure continued procurement by the Government of India.
The House also passed by voice vote three farm amendment Bills, along with the amendment for exempting farmers from attachment of land up to 2.5 acres, moved by chief minister Amarinder Singh. All MLAs from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) unanimously voted in favour of the resolution and the Bills. The two Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs were absent from the House during the special session of the Vidhan Sabha.
“These three legislations along with the proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2020 are clearly against the interests of farmers and landless workers, and time-tested agriculture marketing system established not only in Punjab but also in original green revolution areas of Punjab, Haryana, and Western UP,” the resolution said, adding that the Government of India had clearly enacted trade legislations and not farm legislations.
Watch: ‘Farmers Have Not Misunderstood the Laws, We Have Misunderstood Farmers’
Singh had introduced three farm Bills on the second day of the special session of the house – The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Special Provisions and Punjab Amendment Bill, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services (Special Provisions and Punjab Amendment Bill, 2020, The Essential Commodities (Special Provisions and Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020 and a fourth bill The Code of Civil Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020 to “save the peasantry of Punjab”. These Bills are meant to counter the Centre’s laws.
The chief minister informed the House that he had sought time from the president of India to raise Punjab’s concerns on the farm laws and seek his intervention to protect the farmers. He later led all the MLAs to the Punjab Raj Bhawan to submit the resolution to Governor V.P.S. Badnore.
Thanking all members for supporting the resolution, the chief minister said this will send a positive message to the farmers. He assured the farmers of his support and vowed not to let Punjab’s peaceful atmosphere be vitiated at any cost.
Singh also reiterated his appeal to kisan unions to allow the movement of trains for the transportation of coal, urea and foodgrains, pointing out that the state government had already lost Rs 40,000 crore in revenue due to the rail roko. Industry and business is as much the responsibility of the state government as agriculture, he said, adding that the farmers’ fight was against Delhi, not against Punjab. He expressed the hope that the farmers’ organisations will heed his appeal.
Also read: Turning the Fantasy of ‘Free-Markets’ and ‘Choice’ in Indian Agriculture Into Reality
Responding to a suggestion from the leader of opposition, Harpal Singh Cheema, on MSP guarantee by the state government, the chief minister asked the AAP leader if he had any idea about the financial implications of such a move. In any case, where would the state sell the produce even if it purchased the same, he added, terming the suggestion as impractical.
Replying to questions raised by SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia on the future of the state amendment Bills, Amarinder Singh said he had already made it clear that the Bills would have to go to the governor, who may or may not approve them.
Thereafter, they would also need to go to the president of India, who may also approve or reject them. However, he asserted that like in the case of the Punjab Termination of Water Agreements Act, 2004, the state government will continue to fight the Central laws legally, for which a team of lawyers and experts was on board.
What the Bills say
A provision on punishment for sale/purchase below MSP has been incorporated in The Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services (Special Provisions and Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020.
This Bill provides that no sale/purchase shall be done below the MSP and violation of the same shall invite imprisonment and fines. The Bill seeks to amend sections 1(2), sections 19 and 20 of the Centre’s Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020. It also proposes to add new sections.
The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) (Special Provisions and Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020, also seeks to amend sections 1(2), 14 and 15 of the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 to ensure that sale or purchase of wheat or paddy in the state is not allowed below the MSP. The amendment Bill also seeks to provide for punishment for harassment of farmers or payment of less price to the farmers by inserting new sections 6 to 11.
Also read: Interview | Farm Laws: ‘Price Based Support Makes More Sense in India Than Income Support’
To protect the consumers from hoarding and black-marketing agricultural produce to secure, and protect the interests and livelihood of farmers, farm labourers and others engaged in agriculture and related activities, the state government has brought in The Essential Commodities (Special Provisions and Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020.
The Bill seeks to amend the Centre’s ‘The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020’ by amending section 1(2) and section 3(1A) of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. It seeks to ensure status quo ante as on June 4, 2020 with regard to implementation of the Central Act.
The fourth Bill introduced by the chief minister provides relief to the farmers from attachment of their land not exceeding 2.5 acres. The Code of Civil Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020 seeks to insert a provision for exemption of agriculture land not exceeding 2.5 acres from Section 60 of The Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, which provides for attachment/decree of various properties – moveable and immoveable.
Kisan unions welcome Punjab’s farm bills
Earlier, Darshan Pal, president of the Krantikari Kisan Union, said that the chief minister’s move to bring three farm bills has given some relief to farmers. “We are yet to go through the copies of the bills but the provisions of ensuring MSP and punishment for its violation are a welcome decision. However, the larger concern is of procurement of crops by the Centre, which was important for the practical implementation of these bills. On the chief minister’s request to call off the ‘rail roko’, we have called a meeting at Kisan Bhawan, Chandigarh tomorrow.”
Similarly, Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) state secretary Shingara Singh Mann said that they have a got a shot in the arm the Punjab government. “We are glad that Captain Amarinder stood by us. But our fight will continue till these black farm laws brought by Modi government are not revoked. When we started agitation on October 1, there were merely 20,000 people at 38 locations. Today, we are 60,000 plus people at 59 locations. People are coming out in large numbers to support us, which is a good sign. We have also decided to burn the effigies of PM Modi on Dusshera on October 25 instead of that of Ravana at various locations as part of our protests.”