Minister for Large and Medium Industries and Dharwad in charge Jagadish Shettar has said that the government would consider the demand for extending business hours at Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) yards in the State.
Speaking to presspersons after inspecting the arrangements at the APMC yard at Amaragol, Girani Chawl market, and Siddharoodh Mutt in Hubballi on Saturday, Mr. Shettar said that there had been demands for increasing business hours permitted under lockdown and also to allow the APMC yards to function till evening.
“The issue will be considered and discussed at the government level and a decision will be taken,” he said.
Emphasising the need for maintaining physical distancing at morning markets and APMC yards and also wearing masks, the Minister said that in the wake of complaints about crowding in these markets, the officials had taken steps to minimise the crowd and allow business transactions with adherence to COVID-19 protocols.
Mr. Shettar said that the APMC yard at Amaragol in Hubballi was the biggest APMC yard in Asia and business was carried out on a large scale.
“Considering the experience during the previous lockdown, we had asked the officials to shift the vegetable market to a more spacious and open area and accordingly it has been done now to minimise the crowd,” he said.
On the bypolls, the counting of which is scheduled to be held on Sunday, Mr. Shettar expressed confidence that BJP would win all the three bypolls. In the elections held in five States, the BJP would get a good result in West Bengal and come to power in Puducherry and Assam. In the other two States also the party would fare well, he said.
Deputy Commissioner of Dharwad Nitesh Patil, directed APMC members and officials to distribute masks to traders, farmers, and buyers out of the money they receive through market cess.
During his visit to Siddharood Mutt street, several citizens requested him to allow the market to be held on the mutt premises.
The Minister was accompanied by Police Commissioner Labhu Ram, Municipal Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde, Deputy Commissioner of Police Ramarajan, APMC Chairman Sahadevappa Sudakenavar, and others.
