 bill no  105 of  2009 the constitution (amendment) bill, 2009 byshri shailendra kumar, mpa billfurther to amend the constitution of indiabe it enacted by parliament in the sixtieth year of the republic of india as follows:— 1 this act may be called the constitution (amendment) act, 2009short titleamendment of article 482 in part iv of the constitution, the existing article 48 shall be re-numbered as clause (1) of that article, and after clause (1) as so re-numbered, the following clause shall be inserted, namely:—5''(2)  the state shall take steps to,—(a)  earmark adequate percentage of gross domestic product for theagriculture sector to ensure growth of this sector;(b) declare agriculture as an industry and extend all the facilities andconcessions available to the industries;10(c) make agriculture export oriented and promote export of surplusagricultural products;(d) ensure remunerative prices for all the agriculture produce and extend compulsory market intervention whenever there is bumper crop of any agriculture produce including foodgrains, pulses, fruits and vegetables;(e) provide excellent marketing facilities, cold storages and cheap and affordable transportation facilities to the farmers for their produce;5(f) ensure that every factory or enterprise using any agricultural produce as raw material clears all the dues of the farmer in respect of the produce so purchased from him within a fortnight of such purchase;10(g) ensure that the farmers get timely loans from the banks and financialinstitutions for agriculture and other purposes so as to save them from the clutches of moneylenders;(h) ensure that farmers get adequate and timely compensation wheneverthey are affected by any natural calamity;(i) ensure that farmers get quality seeds, manure, fertilizers and pesticidesat reasonable prices during the sowing season;15(j) save distressed farmers from taking extreme step of committing suicideand extend welfare measure for the families of such farmers who have committed suicide;20(k) extend compulsory crop and livestock insurance cover free of cost tofarmers;(l) ensure rapid growth of agriculture in drought prone, desert and arid areas by providing irrigation facilities and implementing watershed programmes;(m) ensure revival of traditional water storage bodies and implementschemes of promoting rainwater harvesting technologies;25(n) promote agro-based industries such as dairy and cooperative sectorsin the rural areas;(o) introduce welfare measures such as health care, old age pension,disability pension, educational facilities, child care facilities including maternity services, nutritious meal and such other facilities to the farmers and members of their families;30(p) provide agricultural workers all such benefits as are available to theworkers in industrial sector;(q) raise the standard of living of agricultural workers and enhance theirpurchasing capacity;(r) promote the handicrafts, khadi and village industries sectors;35(s) introduce agriculture as a subject of study at all levels of education;and(t) take such other measures for the promotion of agriculture and welfare of farmers as the state may deem necessary and expedient to do so40explanation—for the purposes of this article the expression 'agriculture'includes horticulture, sericulture, rearing of livestock, poultry, bee keeping, dairying and such other activities which are related to agriculture'' statement of objects and reasonsindia is primarily an agricultural country as more than 70 per cent of its population is, one way or the other, dependent on agriculture the agricultural scientists and our farmers have made the nation self-sufficient in the production of foodgrains through green revolution most of the industrial products in the country are based on agriculture as their raw materials come from agriculture but, unfortunately, the lot of farmers as well as of agricultural sector as a whole is far from satisfactory there is sharp contrast between the agricultural and the industrial sectors the margin of profit in industrial sector is manifold whereas it is nominal or very meager in agricultural sectorthough the agricultural sector is the backbone of our economy, the irony is that this sector has consistently been neglected both at the states and the national level a tiny percentage of our gdp is allocated to this sector as a result even after implementing ten fiveyear plans, the agriculture is still dependent on rains as irrigation capability has not been increased to the desired levels and the poor farmers have to face the brunt of the vagaries of nature as such, the development of agriculture, more so in the light of our booming population, has become very crucial for the nation the need of the hour is to give the status of industry to agriculture and extend all the facilities to it which are enjoyed by the industrial sector a national welfare policy needs to be implemented for the farmers the agricultural workers have to be given a fair deal and equal treatment as per with industrial workers if we are able to improve the living standards of our farmers, agricultural workers and artisans, it will be our national achievement and this is possible only when the agricultural sector gets its due share at the national levelin view of the above, the proposed bill seeks to include a provision in the part relating to directive principles of state policy of our constitution seeking to list measures needed to be taken by the state for the welfare of agriculture and the farmershence this billnew delhi;shailendra  kumarnovember  3, 2009 annexure extract from the constitution of india      48 the state shall endeavour to organise agriculture and  animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines and shall, in particular, take steps for preserving and improving the breeds, and prohibiting the slaughter, of cows and calves and other milch and draught cattleorganisation of agriculture and animal husbandry      ———— a billfurther to amend the constitution of india————(shri shailendra kumar, mp)gmgipmrnd—4622ls(s5)—25-11-2009