Alleging that Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMC) have become dens of politics and corruption to loot farmers, Shetkari Sanghatana, the apex farmers body in Maharashtra has welcomed Centre’s insistence to dismantle these committees.

“ Along with dismantling APMCs, the government must also stop all kinds of interference in agri business” said Sanghatana President Anil Ghanwat. He added that APMCs were established to benefit farmers, but these committee have become dens of politics and money minting. Director boards of almost all APMCs stand dissolved today. The directors have always indulged in making money in the form of commission in the lieu construction of shops and roads in APMC premises, said Ghanwat.

He added that merchants and traders in market committee make a ring and loot farmers.

“ The government is providing alternative to APMCs. But use of eNAM would not be possible without quality net connectivity. It will take some time to streamline business on the digital platform” he said.

The Centre is in talks with several States to dismantle the Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) and move on to eNAM, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday. eNAM is a pan-India online trading platform for agricultural commodities.

“We are using technology to directly reach the farmers' accounts instead of having middleman. DBT and Aadhar helped remove a lot of pilferage and the government is able to save that amount which could have otherwise gone to unknown entities,” she had said.