BENGALURU: The 0.6 per cent market fee on all transactions within the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) yards in Karnataka after the farm laws were introduced has been mounting the financial burden on consumers, and so, it needs to be repealed, said a representative of the APMC Yesvantpur yard.
Vice president of Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Ramesh Chandra Lahoti, also a prominent trader at the city’s APMC, told TNIE, “We have sent representations to the Chief Minister, State Co-operation Minister and the APMC director on the need to repeal farm laws section pertaining to APMC.
There are 38,000 traders based at APMCs across the state who are hit by the decision.” “If someone transacts business just outside the APMC gate, it will not attract any fee. A uniform fee is needed. There are only a thousand traders now from 2,800 active ones at Yesvantpur,” Lahoti said.
The state government has clarified many times that it would not repeal the Karnataka Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation and Development) (Amendment) Act 2020. Lahoti also demanded a common portal to ensure transparency.