Traders take out 'morcha' to oppose FDI in retail trade

Mumbai, Oct 10 (UNI) Traders from Maharashtra today took out a massive ''morcha'' to Azad Maidan here to protest against Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail trade and amendment of the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act.

The call for the ''morcha'' was given by the Federation of Associations of Maharashtra (FAM).

FAM's foreign trade committee chairman Chandrakant Sanghvi said the association is opposed to the Centre's nod to allow Walmart enter retail trade in the country.

He urged the Government not to allow transnational retailers to set up shops in India through the franchisee route or under ''cash and carry wholesale arrangement (by way of partnership with Indian nationals)'' as is being proposed under the Walmart-Mittal proposal.

FAM has also urged the Government to withdraw the special permission granted to multinational retailers, large corporate houses and such other companies to transport agricultural produce (governed by the APMC Act) directly to Mumbai and other parts of Greater Mumbai without bringing the goods to the APMC at Turbhe in Navi Mumbai as required of other licensed wholesale dealers.

UNI