BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday directed officials to immediately stop the employment of children at the Yeshwanthpur APMC market and ordered police to arrest and register cases against those employing minors.
Shivakumar made the statement after making a surprise visit to the APMC and interacting with farmers, traders, labourers and other stakeholders. He said employing young children must stop immediately and that district officials and police had been instructed to take strict action against those violating the law.
He also said ministers would be asked to visit APMC markets across Karnataka, assess the problems faced by farmers and traders and address their grievances.
Describing APMCs as an important link between farmers and traders, Shivakumar said farmers were largely satisfied with Bengaluru’s market compared with several other markets. Agricultural produce such as onions and potatoes arrives at Yeshwanthpur from markets in different parts of the country, including Indore in Madhya Pradesh.
He said the quality, taste and shelf life of agricultural produce varied depending on its place of origin. Some varieties of potatoes from north India, for instance, were sweeter while others had a more conventional taste. Produce from Bengaluru is also supplied to Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Delhi, he said.
Commission structure under scanner
Shivakumar said the government would examine the commission being charged by middlemen and traders and look into complaints raised by farmers.
“Understanding the difficulties faced by farmers is my responsibility as the head of the state,” he said, adding that he had interacted with farmers, intermediaries, traders and women working as labourers at the market.
He also inspected basic facilities, including toilets, and had breakfast at the APMC during his visit.
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