Mumbai Agricultural Produce Market Committee is an autonomous body constituted for regulating the marketing of different kinds of agricultural produce. For the proper regulation of all the market activities, all the market functionaries like Traders, Commission Agents, Brokers, Mapadis, etc working inside the market area are required to obtain licenses from the MAPMC. The MAPMC monitors their activity/behavior. For this purpose, the license and regulation department was constituted. Since the regulation of entire market is in hands of this department, it can be considered as "the heart of MAPMC". As it is evident, issue of licenses, maintaining records relating to the licenses and the overall regulation of various markets are the main functions of this department. The Deputy Secretary heads the department. The Assistant Secretary assists him.

All the market functionaries desiring to use any place in the market area apply in the prescribed form for a new license or its renewal with the defined fees (non-refundable) per market year. The license is issued to various market functionaries viz. Traders, Commission Agents, Broker, Mathadis, Mapadis, Exporter, Transporter, Gala owner, Hamal, Processor, Surveyor, and others like Bag Collector, waste Box Collector etc. This department receives application and documents along with necessary remarks/ recommendations from the market office for final approval. After receiving the application, they are reviewed/verified for correctness. A form stating whether all the necessary documents are present or not is filled and added to the application.

There are two categories of license holders, one comprising of Trader, Broker and Commission Agent and second for Warehouseman, Measurer, Surveyor, Processor, Weigh man etc. This section sorts the application and makes a report as per the category of license holders and the market to which they belong. This report contains details about the category of license holder, market name and the number of applications in each category. The report along with application/documents is forwarded to the executive subcommittee for final approval/rejection. The executive subcommittee has full powers to accept or reject the application.

MAPMC keeps a record of all such applications & completes the inquiry & takes decision on such application within sixty days. If the MAPMC fails to inform the applicant within the time limit, such a license is treated as approved. MAPMC, after satisfying itself on all the points grants or renews a license. MAPMC may refuse to grant or renew a license if -

• The applicant is not solvent
• He has committed any act so as to obstruct, suspend or stop the marketing of any agricultural produce
• if the dues of the respective market functionary for the preceding year are not clear, in case of license renewal.

After the new license is made or the old one renewed, they forward it to the respective market offices for distribution. Licenses are non-transferable and are liable for suspension or cancellation for a breach of the rules. The department duly informs the licensee in such cases. Every license so granted or renewed is in force for a market year or for three market years on payment of appropriate fees. In the case of three years period, its validation is subject to the satisfactory verification of his statement of business transacted and the dues paid and payable to MAPMC.

This department formulates rules and regulation as per the Act and Rules for the smooth regulation of the markets. They also amend the rules and regulation as per the Government Resolution. In MAPMC, trade of only regulated commodities is carried out. This department maintains the records of regulated commodities, which come under the purview of MAPMC. The information regarding the regulated commodities is communicated to the respective market office.