Politics to be Banished from APMCs, Nominated Committee To Look After Utilization of Funds from Central Govt

Pune: Market committees of inter-state and international importance will now be dominated by the state government. The elections to these market committees will now end and the nominated board of directors will come into existence. According to the act passed by the Central Government, these market committees will be given substantial assistance from the Centre and as per the terms of the Act, these committees will have a nominated board of directors. A ministerial committee will soon take a decision in this regard. 

Inter-state as well as international trade takes place in large market committees like Pune, Mumbai, Nashik. The central government has passed a law to provide world-class facilities in such committees which was not implemented. The state government had passed the law in the assembly in 2016. However, the act was withdrawn from the Legislative Council. A ministerial committee was formed to amend the objections.  

 

•  The state government has reconstituted the committee, which includes revenue, marketing, agriculture, and public works ministers. The chief secretary of the state and the additional chief secretary of the cooperation and agriculture department will be the members. 
• The committee will review market committees in the state that are to be increased by more than Rs 10 crore. 
• Accordingly, the committee will decide the number of market committees to which the central government's assistance should be given. Once the Centre gets the funds, the committees will be provided with godowns, internal roads, and online facilities.  

 

"The nominated board of directors will make the decision-making process easier. Since the board will function in the same manner as the elected board of directors, there will be no difference in making decisions for farmers. Market committees are, in a way, semi-governmental organizations. "
- Kedari Jadhav, Marketing Director, Pune

While providing funds, the central government has put an important condition that there will be no more elections in the market committees. The board of directors appointed by the state government will look after the affairs of the market committees. The board of directors will be headed by the minister of the respective districts. 

As vice president, an officer of the rank of additional registrar in the cooperative department will be appointed. The other members will include experts appointed by the government as well as other representatives. It will also curb politics here.