Jharkhand Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing Bill-2022

• 04 Feb 2023

Why in News?

On February 3, 2023, Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais gave his approval to the 'Jharkhand State Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing Bill-2022' passed by the Jharkhand Assembly with four suggestions.

Key Points

• After the governor's approval to the Jharkhand State Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing Bill-2022, now the state will have to pay two percent agricultural market tax mainly from buyers and one percent tax on agricultural produce that is destroyed immediately.
• Apart from this, the Bill talks about private participation in agricultural marketing and providing more market options to the farmers.
• The bill was passed by the Jharkhand Assembly on March 24, 2022 and sent to the Governor for the first time, but it was rejected by the Governor with many other objections including Hindi-English conversion and returned to the government on May 17, 2022.
• For the second time in the winter session on December 24, 2022, the bill was sent to the Governor for approval by the Assembly. After this, the Governor discussed with the Agriculture Minister and The Agriculture Secretary on February 1, 2023, about the provisions contained in the Bill. This was the first time a minister was called to Raj Bhavan to discuss the bill.
• The Governor has also given several suggestions to the state government regarding the bill, in which it has been told that in the light of this bill, comprehensive discussion should be ensured with all stakeholders during the formation of the rules. Apart from this, the rate of market fee should be fixed keeping in mind the farmers of rural and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities of the state.
• In this bill, it has been mainly said to provide market to the produce of farmers. There is a provision to impose a maximum slab of two percent agricultural duty on goods imported from states. There is a provision to charge one percent tax on raw materials and a maximum of one percent tax on sealed packaged goods i.e. perishable goods.
• The bill several provisions like, a public representative nominated or elected by the state government should be made the chairman of the agricultural market committees, linking the farmers of the state with the electronic trading portal under the modern marketing system under 'one country one market', rural haats from the revenue received from agricultural market tax. Establishment of new markets along with modernization of markets, so that farmers can get food every 10 km.
• Apart from this bill, Governor Ramesh Bais has also given his assent to the 'Jharkhand Contingency Fund (Amendment) Bill-2022' passed by the Jharkhand Assembly. The Bill has now increased the withdrawal amount from the State Contingency Fund from Rs 500 crore to Rs 1200 crore.