Mumbai : In a significant move, the Maharashtra Cabinet has approved bringing major Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs) under direct state control, sidelining locally elected director boards often aligned with opposition parties.
The decision aligns with the Centre’s push to designate large markets as Markets of National Importance (MNI), which are governed directly by state authorities. Prominent market yards in Navi Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Solapur, and Latur—handling daily turnovers worth crores—will now be administered by the Department of Marketing at Mantralaya.
This marks a setback for regional political leaders who have traditionally wielded influence over these markets. The BJP-led government is set to establish state-appointed boards for each MNI, with Minister Jaikumar Rawal proposed as head. This has sparked concern among Mahayuti allies like the NCP and Shiv Sena, who fear loss of control over key market yards.
In a parallel move to expand reach, the state has also relaxed MNI eligibility norms—reducing the annual turnover threshold from 1 lakh MT to 80,000 MT—thereby bringing more markets under government purview.
Each designated MNI will be managed by an executive body for daily operations, ensuring ministerial oversight without direct day-to-day involvement.
