Preamble

The Odisha Gazette

EXTRAORDINARY PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY

ORISSA ACT 3 OF 1957

*THE ORISSA AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE MARKETS ACT, 1956

An act to provide, for the better regulation of buying and selling of agricultural produce and the establishment of markets for agricultural produce in the State of Orissa

Whereas it is expedient to provide for the better regulation of buying and selling ofAgricultural produce in the State of Orissa and establishment of markets for agricultural produce.

It is hereby enacted by the Legislature of the State of Orissa in the Seventh year of the Republic of India as follows :

Statement of Objects and Reasons– Agricultural producer is at present a victim of the unfair practice and undue exactions of a host of middlemen on whom he has to depend for marketing his surplus produce. It has been estimated that the Agricultural Producer is able to get only 5 to 19 annas in the rupee paid for his produce by the ultimate consumer. Unless the Agricultural Producer is assured of his legitimate share of the price paid by the consumer for his produce it will not be possible to bring about any improvement in the standard of living of the cultivators and sustain the progress achieved in expanding agricultural production.

The unfair practices that are commonly practised by the wholesale traders in the course of their transactions with the agricultural producers are unfair deductions, nonuse of standard weights and measures, unfair manipulation of weighing and measurement, taking very large quantities of free samples, levy of excessive market charges etc. The producer is also not in possession of market intelligence and is at the mercy of the brokers and commission agents who are always on the side of the wholesale traders. The Planning Commission have laid great emphasis repeatedly on the need for regulating markets to rectify the above defects by enacting a special legislation as has been done in Madras, Bombay, Hyderabad, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Pepsu.

The present Bill has accordingly drawn up and it speaks to bring about regulation of markets. It is proposed to constitute Market Committees in selected areas and for

Published vide Orissa gazette Ext. dated 8.2.1957. See Notfn. No. 598-Legis/6.2.1957.

selected commodities to be notified by the Government and in these areas the traders and commission agents will be licensed by the Committees who will exercise strict supervision over their operations and also fixed market charges, etc. The Market Committees will maintain separate staff for ensuring that the traders and other market functionaries act strictly according to the conditions of their licences and correct weighment is done with standard Weights and Measures. The Committee will be a democratic body consisting of elected representatives of traders, agricultural producers, local bodies and officials nominated by the Government.Any dispute will be subject to the arbitration of the Committee and the Committee will also make up-to-date market intelligence available to the producers. As a result of such regulation the agricultural producers, it is hoped, will be able to get a fair deal in the Market.

For the Bill See the Orissa Gazette Ext. No. 69 of 1966 and for Select Committee Report, See orissa Gazette Ext., No. 106/ 18.8.1956.

CHAPTER - I

PRELIMINARY