Rajasthan assembly passes Bill to help farmers with debts

Jaipur, Aug 2 (PTI) The Rajasthan assembly on Wednesday passed a bill stipulating the constitution of a commission to help farmers pay their loans through conciliation.

The assembly passed the Rajasthan State Farmers Debt Relief Commission Bill-2023 under which a commission will be constituted to recommend appropriate measures for the redressal of farmers’ grievances, like debt, through conciliation and negotiation.

Four other bills were also passed amid uproar by the opposition BJP on the last day of the assembly before the house was adjourned sine die.

The Bill passed on Wednesday provisions for the formation of a five-member commission headed by a retired high court judge for a period of three years.

The commission will be empowered to pass awards after adjudication and to recommend ways to help farmers who are unable to pay loans, taken from financial institutions or money lenders, due to reasons such as famine, natural calamity, heavy or short rainfall etc.

The commission will have powers such as declaring a district or a part of it, or a crop, as distress-affected and declaring a farmer as a distress-affected farmer.

The commission will also be entitled to fix a fair rate of interest in case of creditors other than institutional creditors and to settle a dispute between the farmer and the creditor by recommending such measures as loan waiver, interest rate relief, loan rescheduling, or loan moratorium.

It will also recommend the government on the extent and the manner in which the debt relief is to be granted to the farmers and to take over the entire or partial debt and exonerate the farmers from the effects of the debt.

The house passed four other bills — the Nathdwara Temple (Amendment) Bill 2023, The Rajasthan Electricity (Duty) Bill – 2023, The Mahatma Gandhi Divyang University, Jodhpur Bill – 2023, and the Rajasthan Tenancy (Amendment) Bill – 2023 through a voice vote.

There was no discussion on the bills as the opposition members were creating an uproar in the well of the house.

On the last day of the current session, the house witnessed two adjournments due to an uproar by the opposition BJP MLAs over the suspension of a party lawmaker Madan Dilwar.

BJP MLA Dilawar and sacked Congress minister Rajendra Gudha were suspended from the house on July 24.

As soon as the House assembled at 11 am on Wednesday, the opposition BJP raised the issue of Dilwar’s suspension.

However, after Speaker CP Joshi assured them that they will be allowed to raise the issue during Zero Hour, an order was restored in the question hour.

After the question hour got over and the zero hour began, leader of opposition Rajendra Rathore said Dilawar’s suspension was baseless. He also demanded a debate in the House on crimes against women and also tabling of the red diary Gudha had waved in the assembly house on July 24.

Congress MLA Govind Singh Dotasra raised an objection to Rathore’s demand for tabling of the diary, which again led to an uproar in the House following which the speaker adjourned the proceedings for 30 minutes.

When the House reassembled, the BJP members continued with their protest.

The speaker then called the names of the members to speak on the adjournment motion.

Later, deputy chief whip Mahendra Chaudhary tabled the report of the business advisory committee which was passed by a voice vote.

Speaker Joshi asked the BJP MLAs to return to their seats, saying he has given them an opportunity to raise their points and now he will take up the listed business.

When the uproar continued, the speaker adjourned the proceedings for another 30 minutes.

When the house reassembled, the speaker took up the listed business and oversaw the passing of five bills, even as the opposition continued with its protestations in the well of the house.

Joshi asked the opposition MLAs to return to their seats for the national anthem.

They returned to their seats and after the national anthem, the house was adjourned sine die.

This was the 8th session of the 15th Rajasthan assembly.