Punjab Mandi Board to have 10 non-official directors

Chandigarh, June 7 (UNI) Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today asked the Financial Commissioner Development (FCD) to amend the composition of he Board of Directors (BoDs) of Mandi Board to enhance its existing membership of non official members from eight to ten, so as to make it broad based for taking pragmatic policy decisions.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of a ten-member delegation of the Federation of Aarhti Associations (Commission agents association) with the chief minister. The deleation was led by its President Ravinder Singh Cheema.

He asked the FCD to immediately notify a committee for the allotment of plots to the Aarhtiyas in the upcoming grain markets in the state. He also called for revising the notification already issued on April 25 this year by the Mandi Board for making an amendment relating to the non suspension of the licenses of 'Katcha' (temporary) Aarhtiyas for the procurement season.

He also directed the FCD to bring a bill in the coming Budget Session this month for granting life time licenses to the Katcha Aarhtiyas, instead of renewing these every three years as per existing provision of the law. He also said that the interests of the farmers and aarhtiyas would be safeguarded.

The Chief Minister assured the delegation that the government was sympathetically considering the genuine demands of the Aarhtiyas.

UNI