CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court issued notice to the Haryana government on Wednesday over its refusal to procure paddy from a farmer from Uttar Pradesh (UP) despite the Centre’s newly-framed agriculture law that permits sale of crops in any part of the country.
The high court has asked the Haryana government to clarify its position on the issue by Thursday, when the matter has been fixed for hearing.
The main grouse of the farmer in this case is that despite the mandate of Section 3 of the newly-enacted Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, which provides absolute freedom to a farmer to sell produce anywhere in India, he is not being permitted to sell his produce in Haryana.
Justice Amol Rattan Singh issued the notice after taking cognizance of a petition filed by Virender Singh, 58, a resident of Karnal district in Haryana.
Stopping paddy sale violation of new laws: Farmer
In July 2020, the farmer and his family members had sown A Grade Super 5 variety of paddy on around 75-acre land owned by them in Chillaur village, Muzaffarnagar district, UP. In the second and third week of October, the petitioner harvested about 1650 quintals of paddy from his fields and intended to sell his harvest in Haryana, where the FCI and other state agencies were purchasing the aforesaid variety of paddy at MSP of Rs1,888 per quintal.
Despite repeated attempts, the petitioner could not register himself on the Haryana government’s portal, ‘Meri Fasal, Mera Byora’ and then he loaded around 650 quintals of paddy in four trolleys for sale thereof at Gharaunda mandi of Karnal district. On October 24, he was stopped and informed by the officials of the marketing board that there are specific directions by the Karnal DC to not to allow any person to enter from UP, along with his harvest.
The petitioner ‘s contention is that denial by the state authorities to sell his crop in Haryana is in complete violation of the Provisions of the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020. The new law came into force on September 27.
The counsel for the petitioner, Mukul Aggarwal said that since Section 3 of the new Act provides absolute freedom to farmers and traders to carry on interstate or intra-state trade and commerce in farmers’ produce, the state authorities in Haryana cannot stop his client from selling produce in the state. The counsel has sought directions to allow his client to sell his agriculture produce in the state of Haryana.