Congress MP Satav backs draft law on agri prices tribunal

A group of lawyers, students and activists here has come out with a draft law providing for a tribunal which farmers can approach on their grievances about the prices of farm produce. Congress MP Rajiv Satav said he would introduce it in Parliament as a private member's bill next month. The draft 'National Agricultural Produce Price Confirmation Tribunal Act 2018' aims to redress the "injustice" faced by farmers and protect their "livelihood rights". Law students, mostly children of farmers, lawyers, and some activists formed a group called 'Lawyers for Earth Justice', and working with Sahyog Trust, prepared this draft law, said senior lawyer Asim Sarode, who is part of the group. "If passed, it will be the first law for the protection of livelihood rights of farmers," he claimed. The draft was sent to Satav who agreed to present it as a private member's bill in the Lok Sabha, Sarode said. The main reason for farmers' plight is the lack of proper minimum support price for many crops, he said. The tribunal contemplated in the draft law can redress farmers' grievances about prices of farm produce, he said. Under the draft law, a retired judge of the Supreme Court will be the president of the National Agricultural Produce Price Confirmation Tribunal, with retired judges of the high court as its 'judicial members'.

It will also have agriculture experts. It also contemplates an Agriculture Production Expenditure and Pricing Commission, which will determine the right prices for farm produce. Vishwambhar Chaudhary, one of the members of the group, said under the draft law, the tribunal can take cognisance of all agricultural issues which have a bearing on farmers' livelihood. When contacted, Satav, the MP from Hingoli in Maharashtra and Congress secretary, said, "There is no platform where farmers can go and seek redressal for lack of minimum support price and other grievances. "I will be presenting this draft law as a private member's bill in Parliament next month," Satav told PTI. "A farmer needs assurance of a guaranteed price for his produce, and if he is not getting it, there should be some mechanism or platform he can approach," the MP said.

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