Shimla: Unable to move the Delhi government into enforcing the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act in Azadpur fruit and vegetable market, the Himachal government intends to set up a separate market at Kundli in Haryana in the national capital region.
Horticulture minister Narinder Bragta stated that the government plans to set a separate ‘subzi mandi’ at Kundli in Haryana.
“The state is taking the step because of the raw treatment being meted out to Himachali fruit and vegetables growers in Asia’s biggest subzi mandi at Azadpur,” said Bragta.
The fruit and vegetable market at Kundli would be set up in about 14,000 square yard land area, which is owned by the state government, he said.
The proposed market would meet long term needs of farmers from Himachal, Uttrakhand and Jammu and Kashmir, who are meted out a raw deal by commission agents based in the Azadpur market, he added.
He said that controlled atmosphere stores will be set up in proposed Subzi Mandi and it will act as main sales centre for entire Himachali fruits, vegetables, floriculture and other organic products.
The model APMC Act would be implemented in this subzi mandi and no commission will be charged from farm producers.
The APMC Act have been made specifically responsible for ensuring complete transparency in pricing system and transactions taking place in market area; providing market-led extension services to farmers; ensuring payment for agricultural produce sold by farmers on the same day; promoting agricultural processing including activities for value addition in agricultural produce; and publicizing data on arrivals and rates of agricultural produce brought into the market area for sale.
The state government would continue its fights for justice and will again take up the case of waiving of commission from growers at the Azadpur subzi mandi by asking the Delhi government to implement its commitments to implement model APMC Act.
The issue of overcharging commission from present rate of 6 per cent to 8 per cent will be taken up with Delhi Government and Azadpur Mandi Authorities.
Since the Delhi government is not interested in protecting interests of fruit growers, the state government is exploring all other options, he added.
We are contemplating of filing a case in the Delhi High Court to issue direction to Delhi Government for implementation of the model APMC Act in Delhi areas, said Bragta.
The Act has been implemented in entire country but the Delhi Government is acting under the influence of the traders lobby and is backtracking time and again on this issue, he said.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
A very bold step by the government.
Having personally visited the Azadpur market many times in 90s and seeing the pathetic treatment by big traders to HP traders I think it was long overdue. Not only this I think Himachal needs to flex its muscles and show the neibhouring states that we all depend upon each other.
Whether it is power issues or bad treatment to HP roadways, Himachal has to come strong united front.
However we all also need to build our competitive edge, which is lacking big way in HP whether it is education or calibre of leaders and officers.Gaining 100 percent literacy does not mean we are at some leading positions.
And it takes a long time to fix these issues so better start now or as we are lacking in quality industry and are left behind as compare to rest of India we won’t able to make our mark.
Competition among states should be on the anvil and central government should reward that.
Upcoming IIT Mandi is one big moral booster though.
I also share the view that we must set up a separate facility if Delhi govt does not cooperate. We show to them that the loot will not continue for long…..
Finally. somebody seems to have woken up on the right side of the rock. I have personally experienced the treatment met by the farmers from Himachal in Sabzi mandi. Hope this will bring some respite for the farmers.
l wanna strongly appreciate …that Delhi govt. must implement the model of APMC Act. l protest with dehli govt. over raw treatment being meted out to the Himachal fruit & veg. growers by the comission agents…if delhi govt.doesn’t cooperate us. than we’re there with our musclesss..telling them..u stand nowhere, keeping urself away from the land of gods..”Himachal”….!!