Astha
Virendra Kumar, 58, a farmer from Karnal, Haryana, has moved the High Court against the deputy commissioner’s order restraining entry of paddy from Uttar Pradesh into Haryana.
Kumar’s counsel – senior advocate Ashish Aggarwal and advocate Mukul Aggarwal said that the Section 3 of the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 grants freedom to farmers to take up inter-state or intra-state trade and commerce in farm produce. However, the decision of Karnal’s deputy commissioner-cum-collector to restrict paddy from UP to Haryana is contrary to the aforementioned provision of the law.
Through ‘Meri Fasal Mera Byora’, the Haryana government’s online portal, the farmers with farms situated outside the State were asked to register. Later, the State had abruptly shut down the portal.
The plea has sought to quash the DC’s order barring entry of farmers outside Karnal.
As the matter was not merely confined to Haryana, the counsel for Kumar has also asked to implead the Union of India, Union Territory of Chandigarh, and the State of Punjab, to be parties to the case.
A bench of Justice Rajbir Sherawat has asked the State to file a reply. The case is adjourned till November 12.