As many as 891 officials appointed on a political basis in 81 market committees of the province during the rule of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf have been removed after the approval of the caretaker government. Government officers have been appointed as administrators on the dissolved market committees.
The agriculture secretary has announced the appointment of assistant commissioners, assistant directors of agriculture marketing and agricultural officers as the administrators.
These administrators will fulfil the responsibilities until the chairpersons and vice chairpersons of the committees are appointed. Of the dissolved committees, 36 fall in the A class, 13 B and 32 C class.
The agriculture marketing department has issued a letter ordering the discontinuation of all government perks of the removed officials, including return of their official cars.
The market commission system existed in the region even before the foundation of Pakistan and the market committee regulations have altered several times. However, they have been unable to accomplish their goals apparently because of political appointments.
The committees are mandated by the law to assist farmers in transporting agricultural products from the farms to the markets without unauthorised commissions or deductions. The committees are also supposed to ensure full and timely payment to the farmers.
They organise fair auction of newly arrived agricultural products and publish the official price list of fruits and vegetables based.
However, the government is unable to enforce the official price list that the market committees prepare and the prices at the shops are significantly higher than the official rates.
The provincial government established the Punjab Agricultural Marketing Regulatory Authority a few years through legislation.
Under the law, the number of members of each market committee was decreased from 17 to 13, of whom 11 were appointed on a political basis.
Farmers complain that they are still forced to pay unauthorised commission at the markets.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, customers Abid Ali and Shahid Ahmed explained that they had come to the vegetable market in the provincial capital since fruits and vegetables were not available in other areas at the official rates.
However, the sanitary conditions were terrible and the vendors were charging exorbitant prices, they complained. They said no one listened to complaints at the market committee office.
Former regulatory authority chairman Naveed Bhindar said Punjab’s market committee system needed a thorough overhaul and improvement. He said the system adopted by the neighbouring countries should be observed for comparison. He said the best way to safeguard consumers and growers was the appointment of farmers in the committees.
The market committees that have been dissolved were operating in Bahawalpur, Hasilpur, Yazman, Khairpur Tamevali, Bahawalnagar, Chishtian, Dahrawala, Haroonabad, Manchanabad, Fort Abbas, Bhakkar, Kalor Kot, Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad, Sarandi, Jaranwala, Tandlianwala, Gujranwala, Kamunke, Nowshera Viirkan, Aimanabad, Qila Didar Singh.
The chairpersons, vice chairpersons and members of the committees overseeing the local grain and fruit and vegetable markets were removed. In all, 131 market committees had been formed in Punjab to prevent artificial price hike and protect the economic interests of the consumers and farmers.
Amid complaints about their performance, former chief minister Sardar Usman Buzdar had also abolished all market committees in the province on February 4, 2021, but they had been revived on November 2 because of legal concerns.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 9th, 2023.
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