Agriculture Storage and Transport

1. Promoting private investment in storage houses (The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020)

• The Essential Commodities Act, 1955 empowers the central government to designate certain commodities (such as food items, fertilizers, and petroleum products) as essential commodities.The central government may regulate or prohibit the production, supply, distribution, trade, and commerce of such essential commodities.
• The amendment allows the central government to regulate the supply of certain food items only under extraordinary circumstances (such as war and famine).Stock limits may be imposed on agricultural produce only if there is a steep price rise.
• The Ordinance requires that imposition of any stock limit ....