The State Cabinet on Tuesday reversed yet another decision of the previous government to appoint four technical experts on agriculture produce market committees (APMCs).
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP) government had brought in an amendment to the Agriculture Produce Marketing (Development and Regulation) Act, 1963, which gave the government power to appoint four special invitees on every market committee whose income from fees levied and collection exceeded ₹5 crore. For APMCs with income up to ₹5 crore, the government could appoint two special invitees.
The special invitees were to be experts from the field of agriculture, agriculture processing, agriculture marketing, law, economics or commerce.
The Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), then in the Opposition, had called the decision the BJP’s attempt to control the APMCs as it could not win them by contesting internal elections. The APMCs have for long been strongholds of the Congress and NCP, enabling the two parties to control rural politics.
The Cabinet on Tuesday decided to annul the amendment to the Act. “We have been against this amendment from the start. The move will ensure smooth functioning of the APMCs without any conflict,” Cooperation Minister Balasaheb Patil said.
The government will have to table the Bill in the Budget session of the legislature, before which an ordinance will be issued.
