COURTESY HT DEC 18
Petitions in HC seek implementation of lawallowing inter, intra-state trading of grains
Gurpreet Singh Nibber
gurpreet.nibber@hindustantimes.com
Chandigarh : Two months after one of the three Central agri-laws, ‘The Farmers Produce, Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020’ was passed in Parliament, a number of petitions have been filed in the Punjab and Haryana high court, seeking its implementation in Punjab.
The petitions, filed from Sangrur, Ferozepur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sunam and Kharar, challenge the state government’s move to stop entry of foodgrain, particularly paddy from outside the state, during kharif procurement in October and November. The pleas add that the new law permitted sale of agriculture produce anywhere in India.
Farmers have been protesting against this law, by blocking highways on New Delhi’s borders for 22 days. Punjab Mandi Board, the agency that regulates food grain procurement in the state, has said that any sale by traders was illegal and the board would defend its case.
The Union agriculture ministry, the Punjab home department, the state’s food and civil supplies department, the mandi board and police chiefs of districts, where FIRs were registered, are respondents in these petitions. Additional solicitor general of India, Satya Pal Jain, appeared in court for the Centre and told the court that re-negotiations with the protesting farmers was on.
The next date of hearing is January 28.
“We have sought legal opinion from the state advocate general and would deal with these petitions appropriately,” said Anindita Mitra, director, food and civil supplies, Punjab.
To check smuggling of paddy into Punjab, particularly from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the state food department and the mandi board had got criminal cases registered against transporters and traders, who tried to bring produce into the state during procurement.
Advocate Jimmy Singla, one of the petitioners, said the new legislation allows inter and intra-state trade in foodgrain. “The Punjab government is not authorised to stop sale of foodgrain from outside the state, because the central laws allow