Mangaluru : The recent proposal of Dakshina Kannada district administration to use Mangaluru Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) yard at Baikampady to house the much-needed truck terminal appears to have stirred up a hornets’ nest.

During the recent review meeting by Dakshina Kannada district in-charge Secretary and Additional Chief Secretary Higher Education Bharat Lal Meena, Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim proposed to use the APMC yard for a truck terminal as the premises was not being optimally used.

However, the APMC has opposed the move. Committee president Yekkar Monappa Shetty told that they would not allow the government to divert the land for purpose other than which it was acquired for from farmers. “We are prepared for every kind of fight, be it legal or political,” he said.

“Yes, there are several shortcomings in the functioning of the APMC in optimum utilisation of the space. The committee did not have an elected body until 10 years ago. The government too is responsible for the present mess,” Mr. Shetty said.

Even if the government wants the premises for a truck terminal, there is no vacant space that can house the terminal. Either the committee has constructed buildings or plots have been allotted to individual traders. Several traders, including CAMPCO, Mass Ltd., etc., are functioning from the yard. Since a majority of the traders did not shift to the APMC yard, the committee is facing shortage of funds even as the structures constructed by it are put to disuse, Mr. Shetty said.

The committee had declined to renew licences of as many as 126 traders in the Bunder area during the erstwhile BJP regime.

However, traders were able to get the government issue an order declaring Bunder area as a sub-yard of the APMC and get the licence, Mr. Shetty said.

In such a situation, the committee was helpless, he said.

Even now, if the administration wants to improve the APMC yard and decongest the central parts of the city, it can ban entry of trucks into the city, thereby indirectly forcing traders to the APMC. The then Deputy Commissioner Ponnuraj had initiated such a measure; he was, however, prematurely transferred, Mr. Shetty regretted.