JOIN USCommittee to draft agri marketing policy
The State Cabinet on Thursday is learnt to have constituted a sub-committee to draft an agriculture marketing policy which among others would provide thrust to infrastructure and help provide facilities to farmers to take their produce directly to the retailers by eliminating middlemen in the process.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who presided over the meeting, is likely to name the chairperson and members of the panel in a day or two.
Report
The panel will submit its report within August 20, the sources said. With the model code of conduct in place due to the by-polls for Bangalore (Rural) and Mandya Lok Sabha constituencies there was no official briefing after the Cabinet meeting.
The sources said the policy would also dwell on single unified licence to traders, improved marketing access, hosting market prices on the internet among others, the sources said.
The state government had recently withdrawn the Karnataka Agriculture Produce Marketing (Regulation and Development) (Second Amendment) Bill, 2013 in the Legislative Council following protest by the Opposition members. The members had pointed out that the provisions of the bill benefitted traders rather than farmers.
The bill will now be reintroduced after finalising the policy.
Service extended
The Cabinet also decided to extend the service of N S Neginal and Suresh Turamuri serving as registrars in Karnataka Lokayukta by one more year, the sources said.
The Cabinet approved the dismissal of government employee Ramakrishna working as under secretary in IT and BT department after charges of misappropriation of funds were proved, the sources added.
The Cabinet approved providing 1.02 acres of land in T Narasipura taluk for construction of a convention centre by a Trust.