(1) Every market committee shall consist of sixteen members and shall be constituted in the manner hereinafter specified.
(2) Every market committee shall consist of –
(a) Eight producers of the notified agricultural produce in the notified area, nominated by the Government in consultation with the Director, of whom at least three shall be small farmers and another three shall be marginal farmers:
Provided that where more than one agricultural produce has been notified in respect of any notified area, such nomination shall, as far as practicable, secure the interests of the producers of all the notified agricultural produces in that notified area;
(b) Three persons licensed under sub-section (1) of section 8 in the notified area in respect of any notified agricultural produce, nominated by the government in consultation with the Director,
(c) One producer of any notified agricultural produce residing in the notified area, nominated by the Government in Consultation with the Registrar, and
(d) Three officials nominated by the Government in consultation with the Director of whom one shall be the officer –in- Charge of the district in the Government Department of Agriculture, and two shall be the officers in-charge of the district in any two of the Government departments of animal Husbandry, Forestry, Fisheries, Horticulture, Sericulture or Oilseeds.
Explanation–For the purposes of clause (a) –
(i) “small farmer” means a person whose principal means of livelihood is income derived from agricultural land and who holds, whether as owner, tenant or mortgagee with possession, or partly in one capacity and partly in another, more than half a hectare of irrigated land or one hectare of un-irrigated land but not more than one hectare of irrigated land or two hectares of un-irrigated land;
(ii) “marginal farmer” means a person whose principal means of livelihood is income derived from the agricultural land and who holds, whether as owner, tenant or mortgagee with possession, or partly in one capacity and partly in another, not more than half a hectare of irrigated land or one hectare of un-irrigated land, and where any person holds both irrigated and un-irrigated land, one hectare of irrigated land shall be deemed to be equal to two hectares of un-irrigated land.
(3) The Government may, at any time withdraw any member or members nominated by them under sub-section (2) and fill up the vacancy or vacancies by fresh nomination.