Punjab: The Punjab Assembly passed six bills on Monday, including one making the sale of counterfeit seeds a non-bailable offense. These bills will now be sent to the Governor for assent, a necessary step before their implementation. Under the Seeds (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2025, a first-time offense by a company will carry a jail term of one to two years and a fine of ₹5 to ₹10 lakh. A repeat offense will carry a jail term of two to three years and a fine of ₹10 to ₹50 lakh. A similar offense by a dealer or any other individual will carry a jail term of six months to one year and a fine of ₹1-₹5 lakh for a first-time offense, and a second offense will carry a jail term of one to two years and a fine of ₹5 to ₹10 lakh. Previously, the penalty was ₹500 for a first offense, and ₹1,000 for a second offense and up to six months in prison. After Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian introduced the bill in the House, Congress MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh called the bill half-baked. He said the State Seed Certification Agency should be empowered to properly certify seeds to prevent farmers from being cheated. Congress MLA Pargat Singh, while supporting stringent penalties for seed fraud, criticized the lack of mechanisms to assist farmers, the weak research capacity of PAU, and the limitation of penalties for water pollution to mere fines. Aiming to generate revenue from the disposal of assets worth crores of rupees belonging to 23 improvement trusts, the House approved the Punjab Municipal Improvement (Amendment) Bill, 2025. This will enable the government to use financial resources to upgrade infrastructure in the state’s 167 municipal bodies. Through this amendment, the government will be able to transfer funds from the improvement trusts to the Municipal Development Fund, allowing the government to use the funds in any municipal body. Previously, the Punjab Municipal Improvement Act, 1922, prohibited the use of improvement trust funds outside their jurisdiction. Accusing the state government of usurping municipal bodies’ resources, Leader of the Opposition Pratap Singh Bajwa said the government was diverting the financial resources of improvement trusts for other purposes.
Punjab: Sale of substandard seeds will now be a non-bailable offence
