Pune: Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) leader and Karjat Jamkhed MLA Rohit Pawar on Monday raised serious allegations of large-scale corruption at Pune's Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC).
Speaking at a press conference at Patrakar Bhavan in Pune, Pawar said the APMC, which was established in 1978 to safeguard farmers’ interests and ensure fair prices for their produce, has now become a hub of irregularities.
MLA Rohit Pawar claimed that committee members and certain officials are hand-in-glove in scams that are depriving farmers of their rightful profits.
MLA Pawar further claimed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Pune District's Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar should intervene in the matter as he is the hope of the farmers. Corruption is happening in coordination with the committee members and other officials.
Later, Pawar added, 'If we go in deep, a permit scam is one of the major issues in the corruption list.' Gaurav Ghule, who is the son of Ganesh Ghule, who is affiliated with the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, has given 56 places of the APMC to other people illegally and earned more than ₹1.5 crore to ₹2 crore per month. The amount is given to the Ghule family.
Around 900 to 1,000 are legal permits, but Ghule has given more than 4,000 illegal licences.
Accordingly, the modus starts here: these illegal operators purchased the crops in small amounts and sold them to the authorised vendors at hiked prices, leading to heavy losses for the actual farmers.
Moreover, other issues are related to labourers and Mathadi workers. They are not getting the facility of tax relaxation or proper work due to corruption and the existence of private agents.
Additionally, the shops for flowers have been given to unauthorised vendors at always ₹1 lakh per month. There the actual farmers are helpless and not getting shops for business.
These illegal vendors are doing multiple businesses instead of dedicated businesses in the particular area.
