The Nashik Agricultural Produce Market Committee will move all transactions within its market-yard premises to an online system through commission agents, a decision the committee says will improve transparency and help prevent financial fraud against farmers.
The announcement was made by administrative committee chairman Ganesh Gite after a meeting of the market committee’s administrative board at its main office. The meeting, described as the board’s second, was attended by members Balasaheb Sanap, Bapu Pingle and Sachin Dhikle, along with acting secretary Vijay Nikam, officers and employees.
Gite said the online system would cover transactions carried out in the market committee premises through commission agents. The stated objective is to make the committee’s operations faster and more transparent while reducing the possibility of farmers being financially deceived during the sale and settlement of agricultural produce.
The committee also approved or discussed a series of administrative and infrastructure measures. Instructions were issued to send the state government an official proposal seeking implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission for market committee employees. A decision was also taken to provide uniforms to employees.
Among personnel-related decisions, the board approved the appointment of the wife of Kanhaiya Pingle under the compassionate appointment system. The appointment was one of five cases considered under the policy, according to the information released after the meeting.
At the Sharadchandra Pawar Market Yard on Panchavati and Dindori roads, the committee plans to establish an electric vehicle charging centre under a build-operate-transfer model. The facility is intended to be developed through a private or institutional arrangement in which the project is built, operated and later transferred under agreed terms.
The committee also plans to enter into an official agreement with Sulabh Shauchalaya for sanitation and facility management within the market premises. Other operational issues discussed included restarting the market yard’s weighing scale, appointing security guards and issuing a tender for cleaning services.
A provision of Rs 41 lakh has been made to restart construction of the stalled old administrative building on Peth Road. The administration has been instructed to complete the work within four months. Construction of 30 shops in the fruit market was also among the matters discussed.
The committee said efforts were under way to complete the remaining shops in the commercial complex and provide hostel accommodation to farmers’ children at nominal rates. The proposal links market-yard revenues and assets with a support facility for farming families, although the committee did not provide details of the hostel’s capacity, operating agency or opening date.
Gite also said the committee’s income had increased by approximately Rs 65 lakh within a month of the administrative board taking charge. He said the committee intended to expand its revenue sources and use them to provide additional facilities to farmers. The committee did not provide a detailed income statement or a timeline for implementing the online transaction system in the information released after the meeting.
