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The Rajasthan government  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.

Bills

• Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill
• The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2020
• The Essential Commodities (Special Provisions and Rajasthan Amendment) Bill 2020.

Significance

• The Bills have sought to restore agricultural safeguards in the State through the regulatory framework of the Rajasthan Agricultural Produce Markets Act, 1961, in order to secure the livelihood of farmers, farm labourers and others engaged in agriculture and related activities.
• One of the Bills has provided for imprisonment of three to seven years along with the fine of ₹5 lakh for harassment of farmers.
• No farming agreement for the sale or purchase of a crop will be valid unless the price paid for the agricultural produce is equal to, or greater than, the prevailing MSP announced by the Central government, according to the Farmers Agreement on Price Assurance Bill.
• The Bill seeking to amend the Essential Commodities Act has proposed to protect the consumers from hoarding and black-marketing of agricultural produce and secure the interests of farmers. Unlike the Central Act which had removed the ceiling on the stock of farm commodities, it has sought to give powers to the State government to regulate the production, supply and distribution and impose stock limits under extraordinary circumstances.

Source: The Hindu