Food grain traders across the state are up in arms against the new Jharkhand State Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing Act 2022 implemented by government as per which a 2% Bazar fee is to be imposed on all transactions held in 'Agriculture Produce Market Committee' operated markets across the state.

The protesting food grain traders have termed the decision of the government as draconian and apprehended that this will further lead to inflation and price rise as increase in taxes will lead to hike in the prices of foodgrains..

Talking to The Telegraph Online today, a wholesale foodgrain traders of Dhanbad based APMC market at Barwaddah said, “We will oppose the new act tooth and nail as it will lead to red tapism and abet corruption.”

Divulging more details, the trader said, “The higher rate of tax realized from the traders will not lead to revenue increase of the government but will rather go into the hands of the corrupt officials.”

“We will hold a meeting of all the wholesale sale foodgrain traders of Dhanbad tomorrow at Barwaddah and chalk out the future course of action,” further said the trader.

Echoing sentiments, Sanjay Baid, patron of Bokaro Zila Chamber of Commerce and Industry said, “Jharkhand is not a major agriculture producing state and rather depends on other states to meet it’s own requirements and thus for every arrival of foodgrain stock in APMC market the traders will have to pay higher tax of 2% which will ultimately result in the increase in prices of foodgrains.”

“Jharkhand is a small state and all neighboring states like Bihar, Bengal and Odisha are less than four five hours ride away from any part of state so in case of increased prices of food grains in Jharkhand the tendency of some traders travelling to neighboring state to purchase food grains will increase, which will also lead to revenue loss to the state and may also lead of black marketing of foodgrains by some traders,” further said Baid.

Pradeep Kumar Singh, President of Bokaro Chamber of Commerce and Industry said, “The possibility of some traders indulging in corruption by hobnobbing with the officials to evade higher tax rate by showing lesser arrival of goods compared to actual arrival of consignment will increase”

“We have earlier written to state agriculture minister Badal Patralekh in this regard during last week and will resort to agitation despite realizing the fact the a trader's job is to carry out trade rather than resorting to protest,” further said Singh.