Farmers demand action against private agri market operators

The Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) will launch an indefinite protest demanding action against the  MG-6 Market operators at Kappalamadagu in Mulbagal taluk.

Addressing a press meet here on Monday, KRRS State vice-president G V Bayya Reddy complained that the market management had cheated the farmers, porters, traders and the employees and in spite of repeated demands the district administration had failed to take any action. The State government too had turned deaf ears to the demand, he said.

Reddy demanded the government to confiscate the assets of the market and take steps for recovery of the amount due to farmres, porters and employees.

MG-6 Wholesale Market (India) was set up as a first private agricultural market on June 19, 2013. The stated objective was to promote export and import of vegetables and fruits. A huge building was constructed to house the market by borrowing Rs nine crore from Indian Bank. Traders began their business in the 20 stalls by paying a deposit of Rs 10 lakh. The business was satisfactory for 56 months. However, owing to difference of opinion between

A Gangi Reddy and M Gopal, both directors of the Board of Management, the market suferred loss and reached the stage of shut down.  Farmers, traders, hundreds of porters who used to work in the market are now in a qundary as the managment cumulatively owes them Rs four crore, Reddy explained.

He said that the Karnataka State Agricultural Marketing Board has cancelled the permit given to MG-6 market on June 14, 2014 and since then the transactions at the market had come to a complete halt.