Mumbai, Jul 2 (PTI) The Maharashtra Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a bill aimed at recognising women farmers and establishing a framework to ensure their access to government welfare schemes, institutional credit, agricultural services, and Women Farmer identity cards.
The Women Farmers Empowerment Bill, the first such proposed legislation in the country, seeks to acknowledge the contribution of women in farming by creating a dedicated fund to help women engaged in agriculture and provide special assistance for single female cultivators.
The bill notes that despite working alongside men from sowing to harvesting and participating in allied activities such as dairy farming and livestock rearing, women have largely remained excluded from institutional benefits because agricultural land is usually registered in the names of male family members, said Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharane.
Recalling the contribution of M S Swaminathan, Bharane said the renowned agricultural scientist had advocated that farmers’ welfare should remain at the centre of agricultural development and had stressed the importance of recognising women’s role in the sector.
The proposed law adopts a broad definition of a “woman farmer”, covering not only crop cultivation but also allied agricultural activities such as animal husbandry. “This definition reflects the rural reality and does justice to the actual contribution of women in agriculture,” he said.
Bharane said the bill provides for the issuance of a Women Farmer identity card, which would enable beneficiaries to access agricultural financial assistance, seeds, fertilisers, e-Kisan inputs, agricultural credit and direct market linkages.
The legislation also proposes the creation of a dedicated fund for women’s empowerment in agriculture, and special assistance for single women farmers, he said.
The minister said the government proposes to establish an institutional mechanism for implementation of the law, including a Women Farmers Empowerment Council, headed by the Chief Minister, a state-level committee and a Women Farmers Empowerment Cell to oversee coordination, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
Bharane said the bill seeks to provide women farmers with a dignified identity. He expressed confidence that Maharashtra would once again lead the country by adopting a progressive policy aimed at empowering women farmers.
Backing the bill, which will now be tabled in the legislative council, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar said it was not merely a legal measure but a tribute to the countless women who have devoted their lives to agriculture and sustained the state’s rural economy.
During the debate on the bill, Shiv Sena (UBT) member Aaditya Thackeray said women are often viewed only as agricultural labourers despite sharing equal responsibility in cultivation. He said the bill would provide women with a legal identity as farmers and the rights associated with that recognition.
Reiterating his support for the bill, Thackeray, however, said that recognition alone would not be enough, stressing that there is a need to address issues affecting rural women, including malnutrition, deficiencies of iron, calcium and vitamin B12, and stunted growth among children.
Seeking further relief for farmers, Thackeray appealed to the government to announce a comprehensive farm loan waiver before the next assembly session. At the same time, he said, efforts should be made to strengthen the agriculture sector so that farmers would eventually not require loan waivers in the future.
Mahayuti ministers Pankaja Munde and Aditi Tatkare, BJP MLA Shweta Mahale and Congress legislator Jyoti Gaikwad were among those who spoke during the debate.
NCP (SP) member Jayant Patil demanded that women be made co-owners of the family farmland. Sena (UBT) MLA Bhaskar Jadhav said one has to own at least half an acre of land to become a farmer. Will the government make a provision to link women to ownership, he asked.
In his reply to the debate, Bharane said the proposed legislation seeks to give an independent identity to women engaged in agriculture and allied activities, irrespective of whether their names appear in land ownership records.
He said the bill adopts a broad definition of agriculture, covering not only crop cultivation but also allied occupations such as animal husbandry, poultry farming, fisheries, beekeeping and other farm-based activities. Women working in these sectors will be eligible for recognition as women farmers and issued certificates accordingly, he said.
“The objective is not limited to those whose names appear on the 7/12 land extract. We want to recognise every woman contributing to agriculture and allied sectors and provide her with an independent identity as a farmer,” Bharane said.
The minister said the legislation aims to ensure women receive equal opportunities in agriculture, economic empowerment and an appropriate role in decision-making.
“The bill will give formal recognition to women’s contribution to the agricultural sector,” he said.
Responding to concerns raised by members, Bharane said a committee has been constituted to address difficulties that may arise during implementation of the law. He said women farmers would also be gradually brought within the ambit of various government schemes.
“We aim to ensure that women farmers become self-reliant and stand on their own feet,” he said. PTI MR NR
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