Question : Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs)

(a) whether it is true that the Government has started Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs) in the country;

(b) if so, the present status thereof and the details of GrAMs set up State-wise;

(c) whether it is also a fact that as per the plan, physical infrastructure for the GrAMs has not been strengthened through MGNREGA therein; and

(d) the concrete proposal and/or action taken to support the small and marginal farmers who cannot directly transact with APMCs and to make successful GrAMs project thereof?

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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(a) to (d): Yes Sir. As per announcement in Union Budget, 2018-19, existing 22,000 rural haats are to be developed and upgraded into Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs). Physical infrastructure in these GrAMs is to be strengthened using Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and other Government schemes.
Government has already approved Agri-Market Infrastructure Fund (AMIF) of Rs. 2,000 crore with NABARD for availing of assistance by States/Union Territories for development of marketing infrastructure in 10,000 GrAMs. Operational guidelines of AMIF have already been circulated to the States/ Union Territories (UTs) for submitting proposals/Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) to avail assistance. Apart from this, model guidelines to operate and manage GrAMs have also been circulated to the States/UTs to guide them in this regard.

In addition to above, Directorate of Marketing and Inspection (DMI), an attached office of Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, has been undertaking a survey of existing rural haats to find/assess location, functioning periodicity, status of existing infrastructure and facilities, etc in the existing rural haats.
Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India has been developing and up-grading physical infrastructure of rural haats under control of panchayats through States / Union Territories through MGNREGS for development of GrAMs. As per information available from MoRD, physical infrastructure/facilities under MGNREGS have been developed in 438 rural haats and in under development in 750 number of rural haats. State-wise list is given at Annexure-I.