Dhillon said, "The amended Act of 2017 had put farmers at the mercy of private players as far as pricing and sale of their produce was concerned."Ahead of the special one-day session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Friday moved a private member’s Bill calling for removing the amendments made in the Punjab Agricultural Produce Markets Act, 2017 to “prevent the farmers of the state from being exploited at the hands of private entities”.
SAD legislature party leader Sharanjit Singh Dhillon moved the Bill and submitted the same to the Vidhan Sabha secretariat here.
Briefing about the statements and objects of the new Bill in a written statement, Dhillon said, “The amended Act of 2017 had put farmers at the mercy of private players as far as pricing and sale of their produce was concerned. Establishment of private marketing yards and direct purchase of produce took taken away the protection, which farmers had been given under the original Act”.
On Tuesday, former minister and Akali legislator Bikram Singh Majithia had moved a private member’s Bill demanding the entire state be declared as one ‘mandi’ (principal market yard) to protect the interests of farmers.
While moving the Bill – The Punjab Agricultural Produces Markets (Amendment Bill), 2020 — Majithia had requested Speaker Rana K P Singh to allow its presentation by removing the 15-day clause needed to move the same as per rules considering that the Vidhan Sabha had been called on Wednesday by giving a four-day notice.
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