New Delhi, Sep 15 (UNI) A Bill which empowers the Centre to control the production, supply, distribution, storage, and trade of essential commodities and liberalise the regulatory system while protecting the interests of consumers, was passed in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Replying to the debate on Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Raosaheb Dadarao Danve said with the enactment of this Bill, a positive atmosphere will be created for farmers, consumers and investors, leading to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
'The proposed amendment will encourage competition, it will help farmers get fair price for their produces. The consumers will also benefit,'he pointed out.
The Bill, which further amends the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, was passed with voice vote.
Mr Danve said the 1955 Act was brought at a time when the country faced food scarcity. 'Now we have surplus agriculture production. In order to reduce the losses, we should have food processing units, due to non availability of cold storages, farmers suffer losses,' he said.
The Bill seeks to increase competition in the agriculture sector and enhance farmers’ income. It seeks to provide that stock limits on agricultural produce can be applied only in extraordinary circumstances based on price rise.
The Bill empowers the central government to notify certain commodities (such as food items, drugs, fertilisers, and petroleum products) as essential commodities.
The central government can regulate or prohibit the production, supply, distribution, and trade of such essential commodities under the Act.
The draft legislation seeks to replace the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020, which promulgated on June 5, 2020.
The Bill provides that the central government can regulate the supply of certain food items (as may be notified), including cereals, pulses, potato, onions, edible oilseeds, and oils, only under extraordinary circumstances. Such circumstances include war, famine, extraordinary price rise, and natural calamity of grave nature.
The draft law empowers the central government to regulate the stock of an essential commodity that a person can hold. The Bill specifies that stock limits should be imposed only based on price rise.
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