States to amend APMC Act by fiscal end: Pawar

New Delhi, Sept 20 (UNI) Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today said the States will amend their respective Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act by the end of current fiscal.

''We expect that the remaining States would complete the amendments by 2008,'' said Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar while addressing a conference on agriculture marketing here.

Till now, 18 States and Union Territories (UTs) have amended their APMC Acts and Bihar has repealed the Act. Seven other States and UTs do not have such act.

The amendment aims to promote investment in marketing infrastructure, motivate corporate sector to undertake direct marketing and to facilitate a national integrated market.

A set of Draft Model APMC Rules prepared by the Ministry have also been circulated to the States and other stakeholders for their comments, Mr Pawar added.

UNI