Punjab follows in Rajasthan's footsteps to blunt Centre's mandi Bills

While the move might lead to further confrontation, experts say states are well within their rights in notifying mandis

Days after Parliament passed the three agriculture-related ordinances to regulate out-of-mandi transactions and provide a framework for contract farming, and the amended Essential Commodities Act, some states have started guarding their turfs to limit revenue loss on account of off-mandi transactions.
 
First, Rajasthan passed an order late last month designating all warehouses of Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state warehousing corporation as mandis, thereby retaining its powers to charge mandi fees. The order was seen by many as a move to neutralise the impact of the Centre’s ordinance designating all out-of-mandi areas, including warehouses and godowns, as trade