Kolhapur bench gives 15 more days on Sangli market committee trifurcation

The decision to split the Sangli Agricultural Produce Market Committee into three parts has been deferred once again. The Kolhapur bench of the Bombay High Court has given the district deputy registrar of cooperation 15 more days to take a final call on forming three separate market committees named Sangli, Jat and Kavathe Mahankal. The court has clearly directed that a final decision on the trifurcation be taken within this extended period. The entire district is now watching to see whether the market committee will be split into three or whether the existing board of directors will continue.

The government had implemented the decision to split the Sangli market committee on April 6, 2026. Under this, the process of forming three independent agricultural produce market committees named Sangli, Jat and Kavathe Mahankal was set in motion. Because of this decision, the then board of directors of the Sangli market committee was dissolved.

The government's decision was opposed not just by the existing directors but also by farmer organisations, several gram panchayats and vikas seva societies. Challenging the trifurcation decision, all of them filed a petition in the Kolhapur bench of the Bombay High Court. After the hearing, the court directed the cooperation and marketing department to hear the trifurcation matter afresh and take a further decision in accordance with the law.

Following the court's order, the process of trifurcating the market committee began again. The marketing department submitted its report on the trifurcation of the Sangli market committee to the district deputy registrar. Following this, fresh opinions on the decision were sought from the market committee's administration and board of directors. All the directors and the administration associated with the market committee have submitted their opinions to the district deputy registrar of cooperation. The final decision on the trifurcation is being made on the basis of these opinions. Responsibility for this decision has been given to district deputy registrar of cooperation Sunil Chavan.

To complete this process within the stipulated time, the district deputy registrar had sought more time from the court. Hearing this, the Kolhapur bench has granted a further 15 days. The court has clearly directed that a final decision on the trifurcation proposal be taken within this period.

The future of the Sangli market committee is now expected to be decided within the next fifteen days. Whether the trifurcation decision will stand or the existing board of directors of the Sangli market committee will be reinstated will become clear only with this decision. Meanwhile, the deferral has brought the existing directors some relief for now. Until the final decision comes, uncertainty over the market committee's future will continue, and directors, traders, farmer organisations and political circles are watching closely to see what the district deputy registrar decides following the court's direction.