HP house passes farmers panel bill

Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh legislative assembly, on the concluding day of its budget session on Thursday, passed several key bills, including one to set up a state commission for farmers and another aimed at keeping serious accused persons out of panchayats.The proposed state commission for farmers will be an advisory body to strengthen agriculture and allied sectors in the hill state by reviewing existing policies and recommending measures for sustainable and economically viable growth. The body will have a chairperson and up to three non-official members and focus on issues such as farm income, credit, market access, extension services and farmer welfare.The move comes at a time when agriculture in Himachal is facing multiple challenges, including declining profitability, fragmented landholdings, climate variability, market uncertainty and limited access to institutional support. The commission is expected to involve a non-recurring expenditure of around Rs 50 lakh and an annual recurring expenditure of about Rs 85 lakh. It has also been envisaged as a platform to address farmers' grievances, improve coordination among stakeholders and support evidence-based policymaking.Agriculture minister Chander Kumar informed the house that the commission's chairperson would be a practising or progressive farmer from Himachal Pradesh with at least a graduate degree, exposure to national and international agricultural developments, and a minimum of five years' administrative experience in agriculture or allied sectors.He said the non-official members would also be bona fide farmers meeting similar educational criteria, with administrative experience or advanced qualifications in the field. They could also include PhD degree holders in agriculture or allied sectors such as horticulture or veterinary sciences.The house also passed the Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which proposes disqualification of individuals facing framed charges in drug-related cases from contesting or holding panchayat posts. The bill also seeks to tighten norms relating to land encroachment, financial irregularities and conflict of interest, and reduce the gram sabha quorum to prevent development works from being delayed due to low attendance.