AIADMK coordinator O. Panneerselvam on Sunday opposed the inclusion of new agricultural produces in Annexure-I of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) Act, 1987 and its Rules, 1991 to levy a market cess of 1% on traders and urged Chief Minister M.K. Stalin not to go ahead with such a move. He also opposed the levying of the market cess 1% on transactions outside the regulated markets.
“These actions of the government would not help in increasing the income of traders and farmers. Instead, they would only lead to its decrease. This action of the DMK government would affect everyone from the traders and farmers to the people. On behalf of the AIADMK, I strongly condemn the DMK government’s policy that runs against trading,” Mr. Paneerselvam said in a statement.
The AIADMK leader insisted that no new agricultural produce item should be levied a market cess of 1% and that the same should not be levied on transactions outside the regulated markets too like in other States.
In Tamil Nadu, a total of 284 regulated markets are functioning under 27 market committees to enforce the provisions of Tamil Nadu Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) Act 1987. Each of the market committee has its own notified area for the purchase and sale of notified agricultural produce and 1% of the sale value of the produce is collected as market cess from traders.
In a government gazette dated May 25, the Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department included cereals, pulses, oil seeds, fibers, including coconut coir, tubers, condiments and spices, besides sugarcane jaggery in all forms, raw rubber in all forms, silk cotton in all forms and coconut in all forms except tender coconut have been included in Annexure-I of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) Act, 1987.
