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Dissolve AMPC administrative board, demand growers, stage protest

Last Updated 11 September 2017, 18:12 IST

Urging for the scrapping of the administrative board of Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC), Gonikoppa, the members of Congress, JD(S) and Growers’ Union, staged a protest here on Monday.

Accusing the board of a huge corruption in the marketing of pepper at the APMC, they locked the APMC godown.

The protestors, who took out a protest rally from Umamaheshwari Temple to the APMC premises, shouted slogans against the committee administration board and the BJP.

Godown locked

Committee secretary Hampanna locked the APMC godown, where more than 200 sacks of pepper imported from Vietnam has been stored.

Later, when the protestors tried to picket the APMC office, police locked the office and brought the situation under control. The grills of the main entrance of the office broke during the protest. The protestors urged tahsildar Govindaswamy who came to the spot to conduct a probe in this regard.

Congress District Committee president Shivu Madappa said the protests will be intensified if the investigation report is not released on the import of the pepper within 15 days.

MLC Veena Acchaiah said that during the Legislative session, she will mention about the pepper scam. The local MLA’s silence over the issue has given a room for suspicion.

The adulteration of low-quality pepper with that of good quality ones has been proved and hence, the APMC administration board should be dissolved, Veena Acchaiah said. Also, by renting the stalls at the APMC yard meant for the vendors belonging to SC and ST communities to a private company, the board has involved in corruption.

A detailed probe must be initiated to the same, she added.

Forest Development Corporation vice president Padmini Ponnappa and Congress spokesperson Tatu Monnappa, leaders Neravanda Umesh, Aravind Kuttappa and others were present on the occasion.

Members of Growers Association too conducted a protest at the APMC premises.

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(Published 11 September 2017, 18:12 IST)

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