Insertion of new sections 16A, 16B and 16C, Central Act No. 21 of 2020.

After the existing section 16 and before the existing section 17 of the principal Act, the following new sections shall be inserted, namely:- "16A. Special provisions for the State of Rajasthan.-

1. (1) Notwithstanding any judgment, decree, or order of any court or any other instrument, status quo before 5th June, 2020 shall be maintained qua the provisions of State APMC Act and rules made thereunder.
2. (2) All notices issued by the Central Government or any authority on its behalf under provisions of this Act, shall be deemed to have been suspended and no punitive action shall be taken against any person for violating the provisions of this Act. 16B. Punishment for harassment of farmers.- Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, if any trader causes harassment to the farmers, such trader shall be guilty of committing the offence of harassment to the farmers which shall be punishable with a term of imprisonment of not less than three years and extending upto seven years or fine of not less than five lac rupees or both. Explanation I.- For the purpose of this section, where the offence is committed by a company, all the directors of the company, where the offence is committed by a limited liability partnership firm, all the partners of such firm and where the offence is committed by a partnership firm registered under the Indian Partnership Act, 1932 (Central Act No. 9 of 1932), all the partners of the said firm who were such directors or, as the case may be, partners at the time of commission of offence, shall be guilty of committing the offence of harassment to the farmer. Explanation II.- For the purpose of this section, an offence of harassment shall be treated to be committed where the trader does not accept the delivery of the farm produce agreed upon or having accepted the delivery does not make the payment to the farmer in accordance with the terms of the agreement or within three days from the date of receipt of delivery of goods, whichever is earlier. 16C. Power of State Government to give directions.- The State Government may, from time to time, in the larger interest of public, issue such directions to the authorities as it may deem fit, for giving effect to the provisions of this Act and it shall be the duty of all the authorities to comply with such directions."