THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Left government in Kerala has decided to seek legal advice to challenge the farms bills passed by the Parliament, in the Supreme Court.
After the Rajya Sabha passed two of the three bills it mooted, two bills on agriculture reforms are set to become law. The state cabinet meeting on Wednesday concluded that since agriculture and its markets are a state subject, the bills introduced by the Union Government are clear encroachment into the powers of states and against the spirit of cooperative federalism.
Earlier, the Punjab government has passed an ordinance against the farm bills of the union government. The three Bills - The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 had replaced ordinances promulgated by the Centre earlier.
The bills passed by the Centre are expected to end the monopoly of the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee, apart from opening up agricultural sale and marketing outside the notified markets.