Bench notice to cooperation and marketing secretary

Aurangabad, Sep 7:

Two separate petitions have been filed in the Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court challenging the amendment to the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act and the order of the cooperation commissioner accordingly.

A bench of Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Arun Pednekar has ordered the issuing of notices to the State co-operation and marketing secretary, co-operation commissioner and district deputy registrar (Co-operative Societies). The next hearing will be held on September 27.

Gajanan Damodar Kajale, secretary of Mantha tehsil Shetkari Dhanya Adhikosh Sansthan, said that only the Dhanya Adhikosh Sansthan that distribute loans can vote in the APMC elections under section 13 of the APMC Act. Two separate petitions challenging this decision were filed through Adv Siddheshwar S Thombre. The petitioners contend that Dhanya Adhikosh Sanstha is registered under the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act. They are classified as resource organizations and sub-categorized as service resource organizations. So till now all such organizations are voting as co-operations in market committee elections. Also their representatives are elected.

As a result of this amendment, loans are provided to the farmers from the District Central Co-operative Bank. They have the same classification and sub-classification as the Dhanya Adhikosh Sanstha. Therefore, it is inconsistent with the law and rules to deprive these organizations from elections. Therefore, it has been requested in the first petition that the said amendment should be cancelled. After the hearing the court gave the above orders.