Powers and functions of the Board

(1) The Board shall exercise superintendence and control over the marketing committees. (2) The Government or the Chairman or the Vice-Chairman of the Board or any other official of the Board authorised in this behalf by the Board may call for from any marketing committee or any trader, go-down keeper or any other functionary operating within the market area any information or return relating to agricultural produce and shall have the power to inspect the records and accounts of such marketing committee, trader, go-down-keeper or other functionary and shall also have power to seize or take into possession against proper receipt the records accounts books stocks of notified agricultural produce along with its containers and carriers. (3) It may authorise officer / officers of the Board and / or marketing committees to inspect works undertaken by the marketing committees and Board and to take corrective measures. (4) Subject to the provisions of this Act and the rules and regulations made there-under, the Board may employ such persons for the performance of its functions as it may consider necessary and the method of recruitment, the scale of pay and other conditions of service of such persons shall be such as may be provided in the regulations made by the Board in this behalf. (5) The Board shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, perform the following functions and shall have the power to do such things as may be necessary or expedient for carrying out these functions namely: (i) Coordination of the working of the marketing committees and other affairs thereof including programmes undertaken by such marketing committees for the maintenance of markets, sub-markets, check posts and other sites in the market areas; (ii) (undertake the planning and development of markets for agricultural produce; (iii) administer the Market Development Fund; (iv) issue direction to Marketing Committees in general or to one or more Marketing Committees in particular with a view to ensuring improvement thereof; (v) any other function specially entrusted to it by this Act; (vi) such other functions of like nature as may be entrusted to the Board by the Government. (6) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provision, such functions of the Board shall include: (a) to consider proposals for selection of new site(s) for establishment of the markets and to make recommendations to the Director for establishing principal market and sub-markets as per provision of sub-section (2) of section 22; (b) to approve proposal for providing infrastructural facilities in the market and market area; (c) to construct a market or to approve plans, designs and estimates for constructing markets; (d) to sanction, supervise and guide a Marketing Committee in the preparation of plans and estimates for maintenance and improvement works undertaken by the Marketing Committee; (e) to execute all works chargeable to the Market Development Fund; (f) to encourage marketing of the agricultural produce on cooperative basis; (g) to maintain accounts in such forms as may be prescribed and get the same audited in such manner as may be prescribed; (h) to publish annually at the close of the financial year, its progress report, balance sheet and statement of assets and liabilities and send copies thereof to all the members of the Board and a copy to the Government; (i) to make necessary arrangements for dissemination of information on matters relating to (j) to provide facilities for the training of officers and members of the staff of the Board as also the Marketing Committees; (k) to prepare and adopt its budget for the ensuing year; (l) to sanction the budget of the Marketing Committees; (m) to grant subventions or loans to the Marketing Committees for the purposes of this Act on such terms and conditions as the Board may determine; (n) to arrange or organise seminars or workshops or exhibitions, etc. on subjects related to agricultural marketing; (o) to perform such other functions as may be of general interest to the Marketing Committees or considered necessary for efficient functioning of the Board or the Marketing Committees; (p) to transfer or to provide marketing technology and market assistance to the Marketing Committees as and when required.