Market Functionaries on warpath Protest cartelisation of Market

Udupi: In a strong display of dissent, farmers and traders in Udupi, under the collective banner of Krishi Uthpanna Maarukatte Rakshana Samithi, staged a protest at the Adi Udupi market yard on Wednesday, raising allegations of cartelization within the APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee). The demonstrators voiced their concerns over corrupt practices among officials, who, in collaboration with influential traders, were accused of selling 54 cents of land at a nominal price, causing a staggering loss of Rs 3.81 crore to the state treasury.

Vijay Kodavoor, the president of the samithi, urged the immediate cancellation of the lease-cum-sale agreement for the aforementioned land and advocated for its allocation to deserving farmers and traders on a rental basis. He emphasized the importance of providing the less fortunate members of the community with the opportunity to utilize the land for selling their produce, as was the norm in the past, rejecting the notion of a ten-year lease-cum-sale arrangement.

Highlighting the specifics of the alleged malpractice, Kodavoor revealed that the 54 cents of land had been divided into 11 separate sites, which were subsequently sold by APMC officials to traders who had reportedly provided kickbacks. While the market value for each cent of land in the city amounted to Rs 8 lakh, the officials astonishingly disposed of these 11 sites for a mere Rs 1,65,000 per cent. Consequently, land worth Rs 4,69,80,000 was sold at a significantly reduced price of Rs 88,32,240. This glaring disparity raised concerns about corruption within the Udupi APMC, which ideally should function as a democratic entity ensuring fairness for farmers.

Kodavoor questioned the necessity of resorting to a lease-cum-sale agreement in the absence of an elected body within the APMC. He highlighted that previous elected bodies had vehemently opposed such transactions due to the scarcity of government land in Udupi. Selling the land to well-established traders would not only deprive the underprivileged farmers and traders of a space to sell their produce, but it would also exacerbate the existing challenges faced by the community. In light of these grievances, Subhashith Kumar, president of Udupi Taluk Krishika Samaja, called for a thorough investigation into the alleged misconduct by APMC officials, urging Udupi DC to take action.

Yashpal Suvarna, the MLA of Udupi, attended the protest and assured the demonstrators that he would facilitate an audit to scrutinize the alleged irregularities. Accepting a memorandum from the protesters, he vowed to address the concerns raised and take appropriate measures to rectify the situation.