(1) Every Market Committee shall consist of such number of members being not less than fifteen and not more than eighteen as may be fixed for it by the Government by notification, and shall be constituted in the following manner:
(i) not less than two-thirds of the members, to be appointed by the Government, after consultation with the Director of Marketing from among the following categories of growers of agricultural produce and the owners of livestock and products of livestock in the notified area namely:
(a) growers of agricultural produce who are small farmers of dry lands;
(b) growers of agricultural produce, other that farmers of dry lands;
(c) growers of agricultural produce who are small farmers of wet lands;
(d) growers of agricultural product other than, small farmers of wet lands; and
(e) the owners of livestock and products of livestock.
(ii) one member to be appointed by the Government from among the presidents and persons, if any, for the time being performing the functions of the Presidents of the Co-operative Marketing Societies having their areas of operation within the notified area, or in the absence of such societies, to be appointed as specified in clause, (iv);
(iii)(a) one representative, having jurisdiction over the notified area of the Agricultural Department or the Animal Husbandry Department, to be appointed by the Government;
(b) the Chairman of the Municipality or the Sarpanch of the Gram Panchayat, as the case may be, within whose jurisdiction, the office of the market committee is located:
Provided that in the case of Municipal Corporations of Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada such persons as may be nominated by the concerned corporation, may represent the Corporation;
(iv) the remaining members, to be appointed by the Government after consultation with the Director of Marketing, from among the traders belonging to the following categories namely:
(a) small traders whose annual turnover of trade in the notified area does not exceed rupees two lakhs;
(b) other traders in the notified area.
EXPLANATION-I. For the purposes of this sub-section, the terra small farmer of dry lands shall mean a former holding a total extent of not more than 4.04686 hectares (ten acres) of dry land, and the term small farmer of wet lands shall mean a farmer holding a total extent of not more than 2.02343 hectares (five acres) of wet land and the term traders shall mean a person licensed under sub-section (i) of section 7 in the notified area;
EXPLANATION-II. In computing the extent of land held by a farmer for the purpose of this sub-section, 0.404686 hectares (one acre), of wet land shall be deemed to be equal to 0.809372 hectares, (two acres of dry land.)
(2) Every market committee shall have a Chairman and a Vice-Chairman to be appointed by the Government, after consultation with the Director of Marketing, from among its members specified in clauses (i) and (iv) of Sub-section (1).
(3) Save as otherwise provided in this Act, the term of office of the members appointed under sub-section, (1) shall be three years from the date of appointment;
Provided that a member appointed under clause (iv) of sub-section (1) shall cease to hold office, if he ceases, to be a trader:
Provided further that a non-official member, of the market committee shall cease to hold his office if he absents himself for three consecutive meetings of the committee, including meetings, which, for want of quorum could not be held.
EXPLANATION. For the purposes of the second proviso, no meeting of the market committee from which a member absents himself shall be counted against him if due notice of that meeting was not given to him.
(4) Where a person ceases to be a member under the second proviso to sub-section (3), the Chairman shall at once intimate the fact in writing to such person and report the same to the market committee at its next meeting. If such person applies for restoration to the market committee on or before the date of its next meeting or within fifteen days of the receipt by him of such intimation the market committee may at the next meeting after the receipt of such application restore him to his office:
Provided that a member shall not be so restored more than twice during his term of office.
(5) The Government may, by notification, remove the Chairman or Vice-Chairman who in their opinion wilfully omits or refuses to carry out or disobeys the provisions of this Act or any rules or bye-laws of lawful orders issued thereunder or abuses his position or the powers vested in him, after giving him an opportunity for explanation, and the said notification shall contain a, statement of the reasons of the Government for the action taken.
(6) Any person removed under sub-section (5) from the office of Chairman or Vice-Chairman shall be ineligible for appointment to either of the said offices, until the date of next reconstitution of the market committee under sub-section (1) of section 6.
(7) Any other member of a market committee may, at any time, be removed from office by the Government for such reasons and after such inquiry, as may be prescribed.
(8) When any vacancy occurs in the office of a member it shall be filled in the manner laid down in sub-section (1);
Provided that no such vacancy shall be tilled within three months before the expiration of the term of office of the member.
(9) The member appointed to fill a vacancy under sub-section (8) shall hold office for the remainder of the terra of his predecessor.
(10) When any vacancy occurs in the office of a Chairman or vice Chairman, it shall be filled in the manner laid down in sub-section (2) and the person appointed to fill in such vacancy shall hold office only for the remainder of the term of his predecessor.