Vibha sharma
Tribune news service
New Delhi, October 20
Reiterating that the Narendra Modi government remains committed to the interests of farmers, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Tuesday that the Center will examine the bills passed by the Punjab Assembly and make a decision in the best interest. of farmers.
Tomar said that the Narendra Modi government is committed to the interests of farmers and has taken several steps in this direction. “I have come to know that the Punjab Assembly has passed certain farmers’ reform laws.”
“When these are sent to the Center, the government will examine them and take action for the benefit of farmers,” he said.
Punjab’s Assembly unanimously passed three bills on Tuesday to counter the Center’s controversial agricultural laws.
Government officials said the laws of Punjab will follow the protocol assigned for legislation passed by the State Assemblies on matters that are on the concurrent list.
Whenever such laws are approved by an Assembly, they are sent to the Ministry of the Interior for scrutiny, according to the procedure of the subjects on the concurrent list. The judicial wing of the MHA consults the Ministry of Justice, after which they are sent for the assent of the president, they said.
Leading advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan said: “I have not seen the three agricultural laws passed by the Punjab Assembly. If the bills of the State are covered by Entry 14 of the State List under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, then the State has the right to enact such law. However, if Punjab is claiming its legislative competence under Entry 33 of the Concurrent List under the Seventh Schedule, the three laws passed by the Assembly of Punjab should be sent to the President for approval. “
While Entry 14 of the State List under the Seventh List deals with Agriculture, Entry 33 of the Concurrent List covers trade and the production, supply and distribution of food products, including oilseeds and edible oils, in addition to a number of other issues on which both the Center and the states can enact laws.
