HC cancels order to appoint APMC administrator

Aurangabad, March 1:

The Aurangabad division bench of Bombay High Court comprising Justice S V Gangapurwala and Justice S D Kulkarni on Monday cancelled the order to appoint an administrator on the Aurangabad Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC). The bench further stated that the government should take the decision regarding extending the tenure of the present board of directors. Meanwhile, this board of directors should not take any policy decision, the order stated.

The state government had given extension to the board of directors of some APMCs in the state for six months as the elections could not be held and due to the corona crisis. However, the Aurangabad APMC was not given the extension. The tenure of the board terminated on August 5, 2020. Hence, the directors Radhakrishan Pathade and 13 others submitted a petition in the division bench for extension of tenure through Adv Siddheswar Thombre.

Meanwhile, the commissioner (co-operative) had appointed the district deputy registrar as the administrator on APMC as the tenure of the board terminated. The appointment was challenged before the bench.

Adv Thombre appeared for the board of directors, Adv M S Karad for the APMC and assistant public prosecutor Sujeet Karlekar for the government.