Tarn Taran Diary: Arhtiyas annoyed over faulty lifting process at grain markets

Commission agents (arhtiyas) in the district have been raising their voice over the alleged faulty lifting process at grain markets. Kulbir Singh Kasel and other representatives of the arhtiyas said that for more than 15 years, the task of lifting grain from the district markets was usually given to influential persons having links with politicians. These persons do not even own a single truck to lift grain from the market to the godowns. The leaders of the arhtiyas said that the problem becomes critical during the Rabi (wheat) season unlike during the Kharif (paddy) season as the wheat crop is ready in just a few weeks while paddy season lasts three months. The representatives of arhtiyas said that with the heavy arrival of wheat, the problem surfaces because lifting goes on at a tardy pace from mandis, causing problems in unloading the new grain arrival. Sometimes farmers have to take back their grain-filled trolleys to their houses. At this stage, a hue and cry is raised. The tender holder with political influence puts pressure on the arhtiyas to make arrangements themselves for lifting the grain to the godown and the arhtiya is lured to pay the charges on lifting too by the tender holder to which he has to agree as he has no option but to make space for new grain arrivals in the markets. The arhtiyas said that many a time, the tender holder either refuses to pay the charges or the payment is delayed for months and even years too. The arhtiyas said that payment to the tune of lakhs for the wheat season last year at Chabal, Kasel and other markets is pending. The leaders have brought the matter to the notice of the administration and said that tenders for lifting must be given to contractors who have sufficient number of trucks or are in a position to make suitable arrangements to lift the grain from the market in time. 

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Ex-servicemen get ready to contest Lok Sabha elections

Tarn Taran is getting ready to enter the national politics. A rehearsal in this regard has been done by the ‘Saabka Sainik Sangharsh Committee’ (SSSC), a national-level organisation of ex-servicemen. The SSSC has been fighting for the rights of ex-servicemen regarding their pension benefits, particularly regarding the alleged disparity with jawans who take retirement on health grounds, or who have either lost their limbs or become handicapped (physically challenged). The organisation is on an agitation path, stressing on its demands at Jantar Mantar Marg in New Delhi for the last one year. The organisation has already announced that in case the Union Government fails to agree to their demands, they would field their candidate Pargat Singh against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha elections. Ninety four years old retired Subedar Pargat Singh is a resident of Rasulpur village, near Tarn Taran. He fought in the 1962 war against China and also the 1965 and 1971 wars against Pakistan. Pargat Singh is the president of SSSC. The organisation has also declared that Harbhal Singh, SSSC general secretary, would contest the Lok Sabha election against Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Harbhal Singh is a resident of Tarn Taran town. Captain (retd) Sarwan Singh, district president, SSSC, said a resolution has been adopted in this regard and all other unions of ex-servicemen would back their candidates. Sarwan Singh said that they would kill two birds with one stone while fighting the Lok Sabha elections: They would bring to notice the disparity created by the present government against them and also organise their cadre of ex-servicemen to get their demands accepted. The SSSC leaders blamed the Union Government for failing to agree to their genuine demands. It was Gurdial Singh Dhillon of Panjwar (near Chabal) village who once represented Tarn Taran in Parliament twice as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and once as the Union Agriculture Minister.

(Contributed by Gurbaxpuri)