Hyderabad: Stung by spurious seeds and huge losses to farmers, the Telangana state government is bringing in a new Seeds Act. The draft Act is ready and it will be introduced in Assembly in the forthcoming winter session, mostly likely this month.
The Act is basically aimed at ensuring fair compensation to farmers who lose crops due to spurious seeds and severe punishment to manufacturers and sellers of spurious seeds in the state.
“The state government will bring in a new Seed Act this Assembly session. It is to ensure compensation to farmers who are put to loss due to sale of spurious seeds and severe punishment to manufacturers, traders and sellers of spurious seeds. Draft Act is ready,” C. Parthasarathi, principal secretary, agriculture department told this newspaper.
The existing seed Acts, barring the Cotton Act, are proving to be ineffective. These Acts are the Seeds Act 1966, the Seeds Rules, 1968, and the Seeds Control Order, 1983.
If any person contravenes any provisions of the seeds Act / Rules, on conviction, is punishable for the first offence with a fine that may extend to Rs 500 and in the event of such person having been previously convicted of an offence under the Section, with imprisonment for up to six months or with fine that may extend to Rs 1,000, or with both.
The Central government in 2001 enacted Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Authority to facilitate growth of the seed industry, ensure high quality seeds and planting material to farmers. India has ratified the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of the Intellectual Property Rights to make provision for giving effect to Agreement.
In the wake of recent cases of fake chilli seeds and farmers suffering huge losses, the government booked cases under cheating and conspiracy besides PD Act. “We sent MDs of two companies and two prominent dealers to jail. We will crack down on such erring persons,” Mr Parthasarathi said. He said it’s a free market and certification of majority of seeds is voluntary in the country.
“In the wake of globalisation and liberalisation, private sector, MNCs have entered the agriculture sector in a big way. Companies may or may not go for government certification. Only when there is crop failure does the government step in, takes samples and sends them to labs. If proven, cases are booked. There is little shield for crop loss, barring cotton,” Mr Parthasarathi said.
