It has not included the clause on price regulation of seeds
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved additional amendments to the Seeds Bill. 2004.
The amendments
however did not include the clause on price regulation of seeds that is
being demanded by members of Parliament who have moved amendments to the
Bill that may be introduced in this session. They wanted a regulatory
mechanism on pricing of seeds so that seeds were available to farmers at
affordable price and not left to “market forces.” This proposed
amendment has not been accepted by the government.
On the demand of the
MPs and civil society groups, the government has approved an amendment
to raise the maximum penalty for “misrepresentation/ or suppression of
facts, procedural violation or non-performance of the seeds “without
intention” to one year and Rs. 5 lakh. There was a provision for
cancellation of registration as well, official sources told The Hindu.
The additional
amendments also provide for nomination on the proposed National Seed
Committee of the chairpersons of the Protection of Plant Varieties and
Farmers’ Rights Authority and the National Bio-diversity Authority.
Another amendment okayed relates to submission of seed certification copy and periodic returns to the State government.
The amended Seeds
Bill, 2010, seeks to regulate the quality of seeds and planting
material, to curb the sale of spurious and poor quality seeds, increase
private participation in seed production and distribution and liberalise
import of seeds and planting materials.
The Bill that seeks
to repeal and replace the existing Seeds Act, 1966, also has a provision
that no transgenic variety of seed would be registered unless cleared
under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Such
seeds would have to be labelled and conform to specific standards.
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved additional amendments to the Seeds Bill. 2004.
The amendments
however did not include the clause on price regulation of seeds that is
being demanded by members of Parliament who have moved amendments to the
Bill that may be introduced in this session. They wanted a regulatory
mechanism on pricing of seeds so that seeds were available to farmers at
affordable price and not left to “market forces.” This proposed
amendment has not been accepted by the government.
On the demand of the
MPs and civil society groups, the government has approved an amendment
to raise the maximum penalty for “misrepresentation/ or suppression of
facts, procedural violation or non-performance of the seeds “without
intention” to one year and Rs. 5 lakh. There was a provision for
cancellation of registration as well, official sources told The Hindu.
The additional
amendments also provide for nomination on the proposed National Seed
Committee of the chairpersons of the Protection of Plant Varieties and
Farmers’ Rights Authority and the National Bio-diversity Authority.
Another amendment okayed relates to submission of seed certification copy and periodic returns to the State government.
The amended Seeds
Bill, 2010, seeks to regulate the quality of seeds and planting
material, to curb the sale of spurious and poor quality seeds, increase
private participation in seed production and distribution and liberalise
import of seeds and planting materials.
The Bill that seeks
to repeal and replace the existing Seeds Act, 1966, also has a provision
that no transgenic variety of seed would be registered unless cleared
under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Such
seeds would have to be labelled and conform to specific standards.