By a notice dated February 19, 2018, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has invited comments on draft Pesticides Management Bill, 2017 (“Bill”). This draft bill proposes to replace the Insecticides Act of 1968 (“Act”) and seeks to increase penalties on violators so as to also empower the state governments to take action against such violations.
The draft Bill has been introduced in order to ensure the availability of quality pesticides, minimise the contamination of agricultural commodities by pesticide residue, and create awareness among users regarding the safe and judicious use of pesticides. It puts in place detailed clauses for registration of new molecules and also includes a broader category of offences including provisions for paying compensation to affected farmers. The amount of penalty prescribed under the Bill has been escalated to Rs. 50 lakh and imprisonment of up to 5 years, as compared to the previous punishment of Rs. 2,000 and imprisonment of up to 3 years.
For further details, please refer to the draft bill in the hyperlink below.
Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare
