MP plans to rent out vacant mandi space for subsidised retail shops for farmers - Hindustan Times
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MP plans to rent out vacant mandi space for subsidised retail shops for farmers

By | Edited by Abhinav Sahay, Bhopal
Jan 31, 2021 04:36 PM IST

MP government planned to enlist private entities and offer them land in the markets to develop retail shopping complexes, petrol pumps, fertilizer and seed centers and so on

The Madhya Pradesh government plans to enlist the private sector to develop shopping complexes, medical clinics, petrol pumps, and fertilizer and seed centers in the government-run markets where farmers used to sell their produce, a senior official said.

The mandis record highest revenue during harvest months of April to June and from October to December(HT Photo?Representational)
The mandis record highest revenue during harvest months of April to June and from October to December(HT Photo?Representational)

The Madhya Pradesh state agricultural marketing board suffered a dip in revenue to 132 crore in the three months ended December 2020 from 256 crore, earned in the same period the previous year, after the Centre, in September, passed the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020, that allowed the sale of agricultural produce outside government-run mandis (markets).

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The mandis record highest revenue during harvest months of April to June and from October to December. There are 259 such mandis and 298 sub-mandis in Madhya Pradesh.

“The tax on sale of produce in agriculture markets has been reduced and, according to the new farm law, farmers are free to sell their crop outside the government-run markets, so, there is no chance of revival of 259 mandis in the future,” said a board official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity .

He said the state government planned to enlist private entities and offer them land in the markets to develop retail shopping complexes, petrol pumps, fertilizer and seed centers and so on. “Similarly, the government will give some area to NGOs (non-government organizations) to run medical clinics for farmers,” he said.

Another official, who also requested anonymity, said the objective is to motivate farmers to keep coming to the mandis. “Services to farmers such as seed centres will be provided at subsidised rates through a smart card, to be issued to the farmers by the welfare and agriculture development department,” the second official said.

On the proposal to allow petrol pumps inside mandis, the officials said it would be a viable option because most agricultural markets are either located on the highways or are close by and with licenses to new petrol pumps, they would help the government earn revenue.

Reacting to the proposal, MP Mandi Board Association president BB Faujdar said: “The government is heading towards the privatisation of Mandis. This plan might be feasible for category A mandis, which are bigger in size, but what about small grain mandis which are running on government land on lease or on rent? This means the government will close small mandis in the state.”

Farmers are not enthused by the plan. “It is a good thing that the government is thinking about revamping the mandis but this is foolish to assume that farmers will go to the mandis for shopping. Farmers have no problem in selling their crops in mandis, but it’s the traders who don’t want to come to the mandis to purchase crops. I don’t think this plan will work,” said Bhagwan Meena, a farmers’ leader from Sehore.

Madhya Pradesh Congress committee spokesperson Ajay Singh Yadav said the government was trying to privatise the mandis.

“This model is not to revive the mandis, but this is the first step towards their privatization. We will oppose this move,” said Yadav.

Farmers’ welfare and agricultural development minister Kamal Patel said: “If farmers are getting benefit from the new farm law, we have made a plan of inviting businessmen to revive mandis in MP. We are renting space, not whole mandis. Retail shops will be opened in the mandis and farmers will get everything from a needle to a tractor at subsidized rates like the army men, who purchase things from the army canteens at much lower rates,” he said.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    She is a senior reporter based at Bhopal. She covers higher education, social issues, youth affairs, woman and child development related issues, sports and business & industries.

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