Planning Commission asks K'taka to amend APMC Act

The Planning Commission has asked Karnataka to amend the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act, on the lines of the model Act proposed by the Centre.

The state has also been asked to clean up the balance sheet of state power utilities, execute infrastructure projects through the public-private partnership (PPP) route, evaluate water management and review the thrust areas of agriculture universities.

"The amendment of the APMC Act will help the state in bringing in private investment, technology and management expertise," Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman Planning Commission told Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy in a recent letter.

Given the focus on public-private partnerships for the infrastrcuture sector, the Planning Commission has asked Karnataka to set up a suitable mechanism for periodic review of the progress of the infrastructure projects such as Bangalore Metro, through this route. "We would be happy to provide the technical assitance necessary and also depute Planning Commission's officers to participate in the review meetings," the letter stated.

Meanwhile, Ahluwalia expressed concern over agriculture universities in the states. "There is a serious gap, both in terms of developing new technologies to revitalise agriculture and effectively transferring them from the lab to the fields," he said.

Accordingly, he has advised the state to ensure that a proposed horticulture university also does not meet the fate of the existing agriculture universities.

Ahluwalia has also requested the state chief minister to take personal interest in revamping the power sector. "The cleaning of balance sheet of power utilities has not served its intended purpose and the financial health of the utilities has not improved", he said.

On the issue of water scarcity, the state government has been asked to evaluate the work done through soil and moisture conservation techniques.