Telangana Govt mulls new Act to reform AMCs

Hyderabad: Minister for Marketing T Harish Rao said on Monday the government would bring reforms in the Agriculture Market Committees(AMCs) in the State and for this it would soon bring a new Act.

Replying to discussion on the demands for grants in the Assembly, the Minister said the new Act would revise penalty amount on agents in the market yards which is at present a nominal amount. He said the Act would also end the regulation to sell the farm produce in certain markets. The present Act was adopted in 1956 and had been continuing till date without changes, the Minister said.

Harish said the number of market committees in the State have been increased to 180 from 30. Soon a big fruit market would come up on the outskirts of Hyderabad. About 220 warehouses have been constructed out of the 330 planed. The government has opened 95 counters to purchase red gram.

This year, there was a bumper crop of red gram in the State and per-acre yield is about 10 to 15 quintals as against the normal of five to six quintals. He said the government had purchased Rs 885 crore worth of red gram so far and would continue to do so till the last grain was sold out.

Groundnut, chilli and other crops would also be bought at the Minimum Support Price, he said. The Minister said the State was among top three States in the country in implementing the e-National Agriculture Market in the country.