Using a provision in the newly enacted farm laws, a farmer in Maharashtra has sued traders for not paying him for his produce and recovered the balance suitably
Bengaluru: While one can see protests against the farm bills that were passed last September on the grounds that they are anti-farmers, here is a heartening story of how a farmer used these laws to sue traders and recover payments from them, as reported by Hindustan Times.
Jitendra Bhoi, a maize cultivator in Maharashtra becomes the first farmer to make such a move.
Using one of the provisions in the laws, he sued 2 traders for not clearing an outstanding bill of Rs 2,85,000 and got his dues settled suitably.
It is to be noted that the laws mandate that payments have to be made within three days of the transaction.
“Before The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 was enacted this September, India did not have legal mechanism available for farmers to enforce time-bound payments,” the website quoted an official on conditions of anonymity.
The 2 traders who purchased corn from the complainant made an initial payment of Rs 25,000 but failed to pay up the balance even after a long time. That is when the farmer under question decided to take up the legal route.
Fortunately, a clerk alerted him on the new laws which mandated payment within 3 days of transaction.
“A clerk I know in the local market alerted me to this provision in new laws brought by the government. He said traders must now pay within three days. I then decided to file a complaint,” the website added the farmer as saying.
The magistrate’s closure report on the complaint reads thus: “After studying the case, listening to the farmer, and going through documents, it has been ordered by me that the buyers must make immediate payments owed to the farmer”.
It is nothing less than heartening to note this development.
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