Rajasthan to follow Punjab's example; will table bills negating farm laws: Ashok Gehlot

After the Punjab Assembly passed bills to negate the Centre's farm laws, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday announced that his state would follow suit. He asserted that the Congress party under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi would continue to oppose the three agrarian laws passed by the Parliament. As per sources, the decision to amend the laws has been approved by the Rajasthan Cabinet. Previously, Sonia Gandhi had instructed the states ruled by the party to enact separate laws to bypass the farm Acts under Article 254(2) of the Constitution. 

Read: Bihar Elections: Mahagathbandhan Manifesto Vows To Scrap New Farm Laws, Protect Dissenters

Punjab Assembly passes bills

Earlier in the day, Punjab became the first state in India to amend The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. Except for BJP MLAs who were absent from the House, 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. 

Read: Punjab CM Urges Prez For Assent To Bill Blocking Centre's Farm Laws; Warns Of Legal Action

What are the amended bills? 

The Farmers Produce Trade & Commerce Promotion & Facilitation (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020 ensures 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, 2020 seeks 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, 2020 provides that no sale or purchase of wheat and paddy under a farming agreement shall take place below the MSP. Besides this, another bill was cleared to ensure that the land of farmers up to 2.5 acres cannot be attached in any recovery proceedings. Subsequently, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh along with Congress, SAD and AAP MLAs met Governor VPS Badnore, requesting him to give assent to the bills. 

Read: More Than Half The Farmers Supporting Or Opposing Farm Laws Have No Information About Them: Survey