New Delhi: Several important bills are to be introduced in the monsoon session of Parliament which begins from July 19, among these include the Pesticide Management Bill 2020. As the Standing Committee of Parliament debated on the issue, various views and objections were invited from all stakeholders. In this connection, the RSS affiliated organization Swadeshi Jagran Manch has also put forth its opinions and objections towards the Pesticide Management Bill 2020 before the Parliamentary Standing Committee. In this context, ETV Bharat interacted with Ashwini Mahajan, the Co-Convener of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch.
Ashwini Mahajan says that the Swadeshi Jagran Manch's efforts has been to give importance to poison-free farming, but as long as these toxic pesticides are being used in agriculture, it isn't good, and hence attention needs to be given to bio-pesticides. Apart from this, in 2007, when the UPA government made some changes in the law, it caused a lot of damage to Indian producers. Under a provision by the UPA government, companies that did not match technical standards, were also given permission to import, thereby causing Indian pesticide producers to bear the loss. So now, the Swadeshi Jagran Manch has suggested that this provision should be corrected. So that once the new bill is converted into law, the provisions of the Pesticide Management Act,1968 will automatically be repealed.
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"Pesticide industry in our country has the potential to make India self-sufficient in the production of pesticides. So far our emphasis has been more on imports. Large quantities of pesticides are being imported into the country from countries like China. Some 'off patent' insecticides also continue to be imported. Foreign companies demand 'data exclusivity'. This means that even if their product is 'off patent', they still have the right to manufacture it. India also maintains the same in international forums that data exclusivity is not correct and Swadeshi Jagran Manch believes that Indian companies should be given the right to produce off-patented pesticides. The Pesticide Management Bill is directly related to the health of farmers, people and also the environment. Many improvements have been made in the new bill than before and now it is better, but it still needs improvement. Swadeshi Jagran Manch gave its suggestions keeping in mind the protection of the environment and the safety of the farmers. The Crop Care Federation of India, the largest organization of the pesticide industry in the country, has also been saying that if the government gives them opportunities and support, then they can not only make the country self-reliant by increasing their production level, but can also increase exports. Hence, the Swadeshi Jagran Manch also supports this. The government will have to make policies accordingly so that the industry of the country gets priority not only in pesticides, but also in other sectors," said Mahajan, the Co-Convener of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch.
The Pesticide Management Bill 2020 was introduced by Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar in the Rajya Sabha on March 23, 2020. The Bill pertains to regulate the manufacture, sale, storage, distribution, import, usage and disposal of pesticides in a safe manner without affecting human beings, animals and environment.
