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APMC Bill to rein in arhtias, agents

SHIMLA: The exploitation of growers by arhtias, traders and commission agents will be a thing of past as provision of jail and fine for cheating farmers exists on the proposed Act, said Agriculture Minister Ram Lal Markanda here today.

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Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 21

The exploitation of growers by arhtias, traders and commission agents will be a thing of past as provision of jail and fine for cheating farmers exists on the proposed Act, said Agriculture Minister Ram Lal Markanda here today.

The APMC Bill was introduced during the monsoon session but was referred to the Select Committee and it would be passed during the winter session, he said at a meet the press programmes.

The Act covered the commission agents based outside the state also and prompt action would be taken against erring individuals, he said, adding that the market fee would only be charged at market yards and all other barriers would be lifted. It would also facilitate online trading across the country and farmers would able to sell their produce at their convenience.

Markanda said the government was encouraging natural farming and had fixed a target of bringing 50,000 farmers under it by 2022 and asserted that both organic and chemical farming emitted greenhouse gases.

To facilitate small famers, the government had made a provision to give subsidy to farmers having one-bigha land for mechanisation of farming which was earlier available only to farmers having minimum one hectare (12.5 bigha) land, he said. Referring to other schemes, Markanda said a huge subsidy was being provided for drip, sprinkle and minor irrigation schemes while 90 per cent subsidy was available for lift irrigation schemes.

Officials face action for illegal veggis markets

Agriculture Minister Ram Lal Markanda said action would be taken against the officials responsible for constructing vegetable markets under the World Bank project without any approval

As many as 22 such mandis were constructed and the World Bank was insisting on demolishing these. However, the government had persuaded the World Bank against razing these and their expansion would start from December, he said.

The number of mandis would be pruned and these would be constructed where sufficient space is available and added that a big market yard would be constructed near Kandaghat where 150 bigha land was available

An FIR had been registered against 102 arhtias, who ran away without making payments to growers while six persons had been booked for trading in apple without licence.

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