Farm Bills Row: After Punjab, Now Rajasthan Govt Introduces Three Bills To Negate Centre's Laws

Farm Bills Row: Rajasthan’s Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal during the Assembly Session introduced three bills to negate the impact of the three farm laws enacted recently by the Centre.

Photo: AFP

Following the footsteps of Punjab, the Congress led Rajasthan government introduced three bills in the state Assembly to negate the impact of the the three farm laws enacted recently by the Centre. ALSO READ | Know How Article 254(2) Of Indian Constitution Provide States To Negate Central Acts Rajasthan’s Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal during the Assembly Session introduced three bills -- The Essential Commodities (Special Provisions and Rajasthan Amendment) Bill 2020; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill 2020, and The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation and Rajasthan Amendment) Bill 2020. According to the reports, Shanti Dhariwal also introduced the Code of Procedure (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill 2020 during the Assembly Session. The move has days after Congress leadership guided its ruling states to pass laws of their own to counter the Central bills. Agreeing to this, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot had announced that his state will soon pass Bills against Central legislations. "INC under the leadership of Smt #SoniaGandhi ji& #RahulGandhi ji stands absolutely with our annadatas and will continue to oppose the anti-farmer laws passed by NDA Govt. Today Congress Govt in #Punjab has passed Bills against these laws & #Rajasthan will follow soon," Gehlot tweeted after Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on on October 20 tabled a draft resolution in the Punjab assembly rejecting the three farm laws terming it a move to "protect the state's farmers and agriculture".

The resolution also rejected the Centre's proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020 and sought the promulgation of a fresh ordinance making the procurement of food grains on the Minimum Support Price a statutory right of the farmers" and continuing with the procurement by Government of India through FCI and other such agencies. Addressing the members of House, Singh said that agriculture is a state subject but the Centre ignored it. Hence, the Punjab CM resorted to Article 254 (2) of the Indian Constitution to circumvent the central legislation.