The Marketing Act will be amended to strengthen the Market Committees.
The decision to amend the Maharashtra Agricultural Produce Marketing (Development and Regulation) Act, 1963 was taken at a Cabinet meeting held today to strengthen the market committees in the state.
The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
Accordingly, it has been proposed to give voting rights only to the Multipurpose Co-operative Societies which distribute crop loans to their members for electing a Director on the Market Committee. The number of Non-Governmental Administrative Boards to be appointed on the Market Committee shall not exceed 7 members.
The market committee will have the right to levy user charges on the sale and purchase of unregulated agricultural commodities and other products in the market premises of the market committee.
Provision will be made to appoint a government employee on the market committee for recovery of maintenance fee on the market committee and it is proposed to amend the maintenance fee to “10 paise” instead of “5 paise”. In order to appoint a secretary to the market committee, the provision for preparation of a list of persons to be appointed as secretary by the present State Marketing Board will be omitted. Co-operation Officer Grade-II, an officer of higher rank may be appointed by the Government as Secretary on the Market Committee.
Amendments will be made to the State Agricultural Marketing Board to appeal to the tribunal in case of dispute over the amount due to them.
