No proposal to repeal amendments to APMC Act: ST Somashekhar

“Our intention is to help farmers and that was the reason for the amendments to the Act. We have not received a single complaint,” the minister said.
Minister S T Somashekar makes a point in the Council on Tuesday | Nagaraja Gadekal
Minister S T Somashekar makes a point in the Council on Tuesday | Nagaraja Gadekal

BENGALURU: The State Government on Tuesday said as of now, there is no proposal to repeal amendments to the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act. Cooperation Minister ST Somashekhar informed the Legislative Council that they amended the Act to enable farmers to sell their produce in APMCs or outside. “Our intention is to help farmers and that was the reason for the amendments to the Act. We have not received a single complaint,” the minister said.

The minister was responding to Congress MLC K Harish Kumar’s question whether there was a proposal before the government to repeal the amendments.To facilitate the implementation of the central Act, the State Government amended the APMC Act. Opposition Congress and farmer associations have been demanding that the State Government withdraw the amendments, especially after the Centre repealed three controversial farm laws after the farmers’ protests.

Somashekhar said the state has the powers to amend the Karnataka Agricultural Produce Market (Regulation and Development) Act and the government amended Sections 8 (2), 8 (3) and 117 on December 31, 2020. The State Government will take appropriate decisions keeping the best interests of farmers in mind, he said.

Opposition Leader in the Council B K Hariprasad also questioned the State Government why it has not repealed the amendments, even after the Centre repealed the three farm laws.

New industrial areas in 8 districts, says minister
Bengaluru: Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani on Tuesday said the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) will develop new industrial areas in eight districts. Responding to MLC H M Ramesh Gowda’s question in the Legislative Council, the minister said in 2022-23, the KIADB is planning to develop new industrial areas in Ramanagara, Chikkaballapura, Tumakuru, Kolar, Mandya, Hassan, Yadgiri and Bengaluru Rural. The government has released Rs 525 crore under the Critical Infrastructure Development Scheme to upgrade infrastructure facilities in old industrial areas, he said. Nirani said Karnataka attracted Rs 1,02,866 crore investments and remained the top FDI recipient in India with a 46 per cent share in April-September 2021 fiscal.

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