Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh Tuesday piloted the passage of three legislations in the assembly that seek to abolish the impact of the controversial farm laws passed by Parliament last month.
The three bills, rejecting outright the Centre’s ‘anti-farmer’ laws, and the proposed Electricity Amendment Bill that led to widespread protests by farmers in the agrarian states of Punjab and Haryana, were passed with a voice vote amid the presence of the Shriomani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members.
The Farmers Produce Trade & Commerce Promotion & Facilitation (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020ensures that wheat or paddy cannot be purchased except for a price equal to or greater than the Minimum Support Price.
Anyone buying below the MSP shall be imprisoned for three years.
The second bill- The Essential Commodities (Special Provision & Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020seeks to protect consumers from hoarding and black marketing of agriculture produce.
On the other hand, The Farmers Agreement on Price Assurance & Farm Services(Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020provides that no sale or purchase of wheat and paddy under a farming agreement shall take place below the MSP.
The Assembly also unanimously passed a resolution rejecting the Centre’s farm laws and the proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
Demanding their immediate annulment, the resolution called upon the Union government to pass an ordinance to protect the MSP and guarantee government procurement.
Thereafter, the SAD, Congress and AAP MLAs led by Punjab CM Amarinder Singh met Governor VPS Badnore, requesting him to give assent to the bills.
A fourth Bill – The Code of Civil Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020 was also passed, which 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 or decree of various properties – moveable and immoveable.
