Chandigarh, Mar 20 (PTI) The Haryana Assembly on Thursday passed the Seeds (Haryana Amendment) Bill, 2025 which provides for stringent provisions including imprisonment of one to three years and fine up to Rs 5 lakh to prevent the production and sale of substandard or fake seeds.

Besides, the Insecticides (Haryana Amendment) Bill, 2025 was also passed by the assembly, aimed to have a stricter law in place to check the sale of counterfeit and substandard pesticides in the state.

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On Thursday, the state assembly passed a total of six Bills.

An official statement said the Seeds (Haryana Amendment) Bill, 2025, includes strict provisions aimed at both companies producing fake seeds and those selling them.

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As part of this amendment, Section 19-A has been added after Section 19, which addresses violations of Section 7 of the Seeds Act, 1966, in Haryana. To ensure stricter enforcement, the state government has made such violations a cognizable and non-bailable offence.

According to the statement of objects and reasons of the Bill, "The Seeds Act, 1966 was enacted to provide for regulating the quality of certain seeds for sale, and for matters connected therewith".

"It is noticed that many producers, dealers, and sellers are engaged in production, stocking, sell, import, transport or distribution of seeds which are not as per standards. The farmers are being sold such seeds which do not provide results for improvement of productivity of the farm produce.

"The same is also resulting into increase of cost of crop production and loss of economy. Therefore, the Government of Haryana considers it expedient to prevent sale of substandard seeds and for that purpose inserted section 19A after Section 19 for the contravention of Section 7 of the Seeds Act, 1966," says the statement.

The amended provisions have significantly strengthened the penalties for those involved in the production, sale, and distribution of fake, adulterated, and substandard seeds.

Under the new provisions, any company or producer found guilty of producing or manufacturing such seeds will face a minimum imprisonment of one to two years, along with a fine ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 3 lakh for the first offence.

In the case of a second or subsequent offence, the punishment increases to a minimum of two to three years of imprisonment, and a fine ranging from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.

Similarly, for persons or seed sellers found guilty of selling and distributing fake, adulterated, or substandard seeds, the new provisions impose a minimum imprisonment of six months to one year, along with a fine of Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh for the first offence.

For a second or subsequent offense, the punishment increases to a minimum of one to two years of imprisonment, with a fine ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh.

The Haryana Assembly also passed a Bill amending the existing Insecticides Act, increasing penalties and fines for offenders.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)