Tamil nadu State Agricultural Council Act, 2009

The following Act has been brought to our notice by organic farmer Mr. Selvam of Erode district. This Act makes 'agricultural service' as an exclusive area in which only those registered with the Council. This Act converts the knowledge of agriculture to be an exclusive property of the agri. degree (and a few other degrees that the government deems fit) holders. Organic farmers, traditional farming practitioners, Nammalvar, Selvam, Sundarraman, Gomathinayagam, Anthonyswami, Balekar, Prof. Sultan Ismail, and many others from both organized academia and outside, but, those who don't hold these degrees will stand disqualified now. 

Selvam calls it draconian act, so, it is.

The entire act is available for reading at the government of tamilnadu website here - http://www.tn.gov.in/stationeryprinting/extraordinary/2009/150-Ex-IV-1.pdf

Following are a few excerpts prepared by Selvam:

The Act is named as Tamil nadu State Agricultural Council Act-2009.

 

STATEMENT OF OBJECTS AND REASONS says, "At present there is no law to provide for the regulation of agricultural practice in the State of Tamil nadu. It has, therefore, been considered necessary to regulate the agricultural practice and for the registration of agricultural practitioners in the state and to establish a Council called Tamil Nadu State Agricultural Council."

 

The council will enroll all those who wish to practice consultancy service to the farmers. Only those who posses a degree from an agricultural institution can become the member of the council.

 

The council will have "five senior faculty members one each from representing the faculty of Agriculture,

Forestry, Agri.Engineering and Home Science to be nominated by the Tamil nadu Agricultural University"

Members from Agricultural dept., Horticulture dept., Agri. Engineering Dept., one leading Agricultural Entrepreneur will be nominated by the State Govt.,

 

The council will maintain a registry in which the professional degree holders from Agri. educational institutions should enroll for offering the service. The registry is named as "Tamil nadu State Agricultural Practitioners Register".

 

Up to the chapter 3 are the various blob, blob about the roles and responsibilities and other nonsense of the register,etc.

 

The chapter IV is "PRIVILEGES OF THE REGISTERED AGRICULTURAL PRACTITIONERS"

 

It says “No person other than a person whose name is borne on the register shall practice as Agri consultant within the state or render Agricultural services.

 

  The act explains the "Agricultural Services" means -

 

a) rendering agricultural services in crop husbandry, pre-harvest technology, seed technology, soil testing, water testing, prescriptions for fertilizer, plant growth regulators, weedicides and plant protection materials, post harvest technology, seed production technology and agricultural bio technology:

 

The chapter VI (Penalties) sec. 32(1) says If any person. -  a) not being a person registered in the register, makes or uses the description as agricultural practitioner ....shall be punishable on the first conviction with fine which may extend to rupees five thousand, and on any subsequent conviction with imprisonment which may extend to six months, or with fine not exceeding rupees then thousand or with both.

I have browsed through the Act and found that the Chapter 4 is the most dangerous. It can now negate any of the agri-clinics that are set-up by NGOs and civil society organizations, barefoot collages by practising farmers too can be negated or worse still made to queue up every year to renew 'license', the most dehumanizing and easy way to destroy all enterprise and initiative.

This Act intends to make knowledge of agriculture as an exclusive vocation and regulates the practice of the knowledge of agriculture, it needs to be protested and removed completely. Selvam and his friends have written to the CM yesterday, but, much more needs to be done.