Karnataka - Bidar   

Traders protest against move to amend APMC Act

Staff Correspondent

Processions taken out in Bidar and Gulbarga; memorandums submitted

MAKING A POINT: President of the Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha Maruti Manpade addressing farmers in front of the APMC office in Gulbarga on Friday.

Bidar: Traders protested here on Friday against the Government's proposal to allow private participation in agriculture produce trade.

They took out a procession from the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) yard to the Deputy Commissioner's office, raising slogans against the Government.

Memorandum

They submitted a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy to the officials at the Deputy Commissioner's office.

Bidar Chamber of Commerce and Industries president B.G. Shetkar addressed the protestors on the premises of the Deputy Commissioner's office.

He said the Government was taking "anti-people" measures in the name of economic reforms.

Invitation

The invitation to multinational companies and other private players in agriculture trade was against the interests of small traders and farmers.

This would ensure that there would be no relationship between farmers and traders, he added.

D. Raja of the Karnataka Pranta Raitha Sangha opposed the proposed amendment to the APMC Act. If the Act was amended, private sector, especially multinational companies, would have a monopoly on commodity prices.

Small traders and farmers would be affected, he said.

He also spoke against allowing private investment in retail business. Kashappa Dhannur, president of the Grain Merchants' Association, spoke.

Bandh

Traders observed a bandh at the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee's yard.

Our Gulbarga Staff Correspondent reports

Various organisations protested against the Centre's plans to allow private players in retail business and the State Government's move to amendment the APMC Act. Traders and members of the Hyderabad-Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Gulbarga Grain Merchants' Association and the Karnataka Pranta Raitha Sangha joined the protest.

The APMC yard did not conduct any business on Friday. Protestors took out a procession from the Hanuman Temple Agro Produce Market to the APMC office.

They submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister at the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee's office.

In the memorandum, they accused the Government of destroying trading in farm produce in the guise of reforms.

Demand

They demanded that the Government withdraw the controversial APMC Bill.

Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sanhga president Maruti Manpade and Shivraj Niggudagi, Srimanth Udanurand, Virupakshappa Tadakal led the protesters.

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