The Dharwad bench of the High Court on Thursday (Sept 25) reserved its verdict in the Jai Kisan Vegetable Market case after a three-hour hearing, where lawyers for both sides presented strong arguments. The judgment will be announced soon, and traders as well as farmers are keenly awaiting the outcome.
The case began after the Director of Agricultural Marketing cancelled the land use change order granted to Jai Kisan Vegetable Market, following which traders’ licenses were revoked and restrictions imposed by the district administration. This severely impacted trading activity, prompting Jai Kisan traders to file a writ petition seeking a stay order.
At Thursday’s hearing, Advocate Anand Mandgi, Advocate Nitin Bolbandi and Advocate Shobha H. appeared for the APMC Market, while Jai Kisan Market was represented by its legal team. Importantly, the court allowed the stay sought by Jai Kisan, but reserved the final verdict.
The issue has created a split among farmers.
- Pro-Jai Kisan Group: Supports continuing the market, arguing that it enables direct farmer-to-trader dealings, reduces middlemen, and ensures price transparency. They have staged protests at the district and taluka level, demanding government support to keep the market open.
- Pro-APMC Group: Opposes Jai Kisan, alleging irregularities and exploitation under its operations. They insist that APMC is the only legal platform for vegetable trading and have urged the government to cancel Jai Kisan’s license immediately.
With conflicting positions and administrative restrictions already in place—cancellation of land use, withdrawal of licenses, and curbs on operations—the future of Jai Kisan Vegetable Market now rests on the forthcoming court verdict.