Lok Sabha Question No. 3568 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-10
Subject: Objection to New Farm Laws
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Harsimrat Kaur Badal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3568

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 10 TH  AUGUST, 2021

## OBJECTION TO NEW FARM LAWS

3568.  SHRIMATI HARSIMRAT KAUR BADAL:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  State  Government  of  Punjab  had  submitted  any  objection  against framing  of  the  three  farm  laws  when  consultations  were  being  done  with  the Government between 2017 to 2020, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the State Government of Punjab had submitted their consent for framing of the three laws; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a) to (c): The Government felt need to reform the agricultural marketing sector so as  to  ensure  better  and  competitive  price  realisation    to  the  farmers  and  encourage capital  formation  in  the  sector.  In  pursuance  of  the  same  various  Committees/Task Force such as Expert Committee in December, 2000 under the  Chairmanship of Shri Shankarlal Guru, the 'Inter-Ministerial   Task   Force'   constituted   on   July,   2001, Empowered  Committee  of  10  State  Ministers  in-charge  of  Agriculture  Marketing  in 2010,  Working  Group  of  Agriculture  Production on  May,  2010    were  constituted  for recommending for several market reform measures. The aforesaid Working Group of Agriculture Production constituted  by  Ministry  of  Agriculture  on  May,  2010 under  the  Chairmanship  of  the  then  Chief  Minister  Haryana,  with  the  then Chief  Ministers  of  Punjab,  West  Bengal  and  Bihar  as  members  gave  their recommendations that the market for agricultural produce must be immediately freed of all sorts of restrictions on movement, trading, stocking, finance, exports etc.  The  said  Committee  recommended  that  no  monopoly,  including  that  of Agriculture  Produce  Marketing  Committees  (APMCs)  or  corporate  licensees, should be allowed to restrict the market.

The  Draft of the Ordinances had been  circulated to various Ministries/ Departments;  NITI  Aayog  etc.  for  their  comments.  State  Governments  were  also consulted through Video Conferencing (VC) on 21st May, 2020, which was attended by the  officials  of  various  States/  Union  Territories(UTs)  including  Punjab,  to  obtain feedback  on  new  legal  framework  facilitating  barrier  free  inter-State  and  intra-State trade  in  agriculture  produce  to  provide  choice  to  farmers.  Government  of  India  has proactively undertaken efforts on series of extension activities through webinars, online conferences, workshops, teleconferencing, social media, print media, electronic media with the stakeholders on the aforesaid three Ordinances and thereafter on respective Acts.

The Government had promulgated 'The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion  and  Facilitation)  Ordinance,  2020',  'The  Farmers  (Empowerment  and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020', and 'The  Essential  Commodities  (Amendment)  Ordinance,  2020'  on  5 th June,  2020  by following the due procedure. Union Government had enacted the new Farm Laws under entry  33  of  List-III  (Concurrent  List)  of  Seventh  Schedule  of  the  Constitution,  under which  the  Parliament  is  constitutionally  competent  to  legislate.  The  bills  on  aforesaid laws  were  passed  by  both  the  houses  of  the  Parliament  and  subsequently  enacted these into Acts on 27 th September, 2020.

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