The traders of Yeswanthpur agriculture produce market yard have decided to launch an indefinite trade bundh from February 28 in protest against the grant of private market yard licence to Metro Cash & Carry India Pvt Ltd.
“On January 18 the government had issued a licence to the company to trade in all the 112 notified agriculture commodities, which is in violation of the APMC Act. We had brought this to the notice of the chief minister and agriculture department. But they have not responded to our pleas and are asking for more time,” Ramesh Chandra Lahoti, president, Bangalore Wholesale Food Grains and Pulses Merchants’ Association, said.
The traders have decided not to give more time to the government to take a decision in this regard. The farmers have been told not to bring their commodities to the market yard from February 28, Lahoti told Business Standard.
At a meeting chaired by Dr V S Acharya, minister for higher education, on behalf of the chief minister, the officials of agriculture marketing department had accepted the mistake on their part while issuing the licence to Metro Cash & Carry. Subsequently, the minister had promised the traders that the government would withdraw the licence to Metro. However, the government is now asking for more time to take a decision in this regard, he said.
Lahoti, further, said the traders would shut down all trading activities until the government cancels the licence issued to Metro.
