Traders at Pune Market Yard likely to go on ‘leave’

Minister of Cooperatives Chandrakant Patil has repeatedly spoken about reforms in the APMCs being on the government’s agenda. Other than delisting of fruits and vegetables, Patil has also talked about restricting the influence of the APMCs within the geographical four walls of the markets. While a final decision about the same is yet to be taken, sources at the ministry said the Government Resolution (GR) on this would in all probability be released next week.

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In anticipation of the GR, commission agents, traders, headloaders and other stakeholders in the various APMCs in the state are up in arms. While trade might not be suspended on that day, disruption of the APMCs is anticipated post the meeting. Bhosale said the government’s decision was “anti-farmer” and lacks any “application of thought”. “In the absence of APMCs, farmers would be at the mercy of the fly-by-night operators who would taken them for a ride,” he said.

The APMC Act, he said, was brought in to prevent such a situation from occurring and the government is going “back to the dark days”. Ashok Hande, a trader operating in the Vashi APMC, pointed out how the direct marketing licences (DML) issued to create alternate marketing channels have all but failed. “Grapes and pomegranate growers have also started coming to the APMCs as they are not getting a fair deal from the DML holders,” he said.

The matter of delisting fruits and vegetables has been a tricky issue given the complex political equations of the market. Along with traders, the headloaders and other labour unions are controlled by the NCP, which has been resisting any move for delisting. Meanwhile, the farmers’ union has given the move a cautious welcome but has asked the government to maker alternative avenues for marketing of fruits and vegetables. Swabhimani Paksha MP Rahu Setti has called for alternate avenues to be readied soon. Shetti has also asked for action against traders who are opposing the move.