HASSAN: Hassan Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) has drawn up a plan to expand its activities by acquiring 15 acres of land adjacent to the yard.

A proposal has been sent to the State committee for clearance, president, Hassan APMC, Lakshman, has said.

Addressing presspersons here on Friday, he said it had become difficult for the committee to provide space for traders in the 28-acre yard.

Farmers were facing problem to park their bullock carts in the yard and in view of this, it had been decided to acquire 15 acres of land abutting the yard by spending Rs. 75 lakh, he added.

It had been planned to start a "Raitha Bazaar" on one acre of land in the city. Former district in-charge Minister H.D. Revanna and Hassan MLA H.S. Prakash had taken initiative by purchasing land for the purpose.

Giving details of the financial position of the committee, Mr. Lakshman said Rs. 11 lakh had been collected in the form of cess from potato traders till May 31. Traders had been charged Rs. 500 on a load of tubers. So far, 2,100 loads of potato had arrived in the market.

As a few traders had sold potato tubers to farmers directly, the committee could collect only Rs. 8 lakh as cess last year.

The committee had instructed traders to sell tubers only at the yard. It had taken steps against direct sale of tubers to farmers.

Despite this, a few farmers had purchased nearly 250 loads of potato directly from traders, he said. He said the committee hoped to collect Rs. 15 lakh as cess in this season. Besides the Rs. 11 lakh, the committee had collected Rs. 8 lakh cess from marketing other agriculture produces, he said.

Though there was no need to borrow for developing the yard, the previous body had borrowed a loan of Rs. 40 lakh, he said. After he assumed office, the committee started paying interest on the loan. The committee expected to collect a cess of Rs. 1 crore by the end of this financial year, he said.

Abiding by the decision of the district administration to restrict the maximum price per quintal of potato tubers at Rs. 1,100, the committee was making efforts to safeguard the interests of farmers by keeping a watch on arrivals and quality of tubers.

However, the lack of staff had posed a problem to some extent, he said.

The committee had taken steps to improve the yard by constructing a drain, asphalting roads and constructing two platforms at a cost of Rs. 45 lakh. It had been planned to construct connecting roads to villages at a cost of Rs. 10 lakh. There was also a plan to construct community hall for workers, he added.

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