Section 20 in West Bengal Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) Act, 1972

 

Section 20 in West Bengal Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) Act, 1972

20. Application of the market committee fund

- [(1) Subject to the provisions of section 19, the market committee fund may be applied for the following purposes only, namely:-(i)[ acquisition, and taking on lease, of market, and management of market;][Substituted by the West Bengal Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) (Amendment) Act, 1977, section 10.](ii)maintenance and improvement of the market;(iii)construction and repair of buildings and installation and repair of equipments which are necessary for the purposes of the market and for the health, convenience and safety of the persons using it;(iv)provision for, and maintenance of, standard weights and measures;(v)payment of pay, leave allowance, gratuity, compassionate allowance and contribution towards leave allowance, compensation for injuries and death resulting from accidents while on duty, medical aid, pension or provident fund of the persons employed by the market committee;(vi)payment of interest on loans that may be raised for carrying out the purposes of this Act and creation of a fund for repayment of such loans;(vii)collection and dissemination of information regarding all matters relating to crop statistics and marketing in respect of the agricultural produce concerned;(viii)providing facilities, such as shelter, parking accommodation and water for the persons, draught cattle, vehicles and pack animals coming or being brought to the market and construction and repair of approach roads, culverts, bridges and such other purposes;(ix)meeting the expenses incurred in maintenance of office and in auditing the accounts of the market committee;(x)publicity in favour of agricultural improvements and thrift;(xi)fostering co-operative marketing and assisting co-operative marketing societies in the procurement and organisation of profitable disposal of produce particularly the produce belonging to small and marginal farmers;(xii)prevention, in conjunction with other agencies, State, Central and others of distress sale;(xiii)meeting any legal expenses incurred by the committee;(xiv)incurring all expenses for training in marketing of the agricultural produce;(xv)payment of travelling and sitting allowances to the members and employees of the market committee in such manner and at such rates as may be prescribed;(xvi)grant of loans and advances to the employees;(xvii)performing, with the previous sanction of the Board, any other function as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act.]

(1A)[ Every market committee shall, with the previous approval of the Board, spend every year fifty per cent, of the fees referred to in sub-section (1) of section 17 for providing facilities with a view to ensuring smooth marketing of agricultural produce or for servicing loans taken on that account. If any market committee fails to spend the amount or portion of it for the aforesaid purposes, the same amount of the unspent portion shall be utilised for other purposes referred to in sub-section (1) :Provided that the Board may from time to time review the requirements of the persons using the market area and direct the market committee to provide such facilities as the Board may consider necessary and any such direction by the Board shall be binding on the market committee.] [Inserted by the West Bengal Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) (Amendment) Act, 1978, section 16(b).]

(2)The market committee fund shall be operated [by the Chairman, or in absence of the Chairman, by such officer as the State Government may, in consultation with the Chairman, by notification, specify] [Substituted 'by the Chairman' by West Bengal Act No. 16 of 2017, dated 31.3.2017.] jointly with the Secretary [and in the absence of the Secretary, with another member] [Substituted for "or another member" by ibid, section 16(c).] of the market committee and the accounts thereof shall be kept and audited in such manner as may be prescribed.