Farmers expose purchase officials’ delaying tactics

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Uchana Kalan, April 15

Exposing the false claims made by officers from various purchase agencies about excessive moisture content in wheat crop, harassed Uchana Kalan farmers today took matters into their own hands. They alleged the agencies were ‘deliberately’ delaying purchase by conducting moisture-content assessment with digital meters procured from local commission agents.

During the assessment, farmers found moisture content to be 9-10% against the permissible limit of 12%. Irked farmers then announced to lock all gates of the grain market if the administration failed to start purchase within the next 24 hours.

Sources said farmers called mediapersons to the grain market during the day to expose the delaying tactics of the purchase agency officers and converged at the grain market. Within a few minutes some other farmers, equipped with moisture-measuring meters also reached the heaps of wheat crop brought to the market for sale. When the farmers checked the moisture content of random heaps, it was found to be between 9-10%.

Balwant, a farmer who has been sitting at the grain market since the last five days, alleged purchase agency officers had not visited his crop even once and were deliberately delaying purchase. “We have been requesting officers to check our wheat crop for purchase, but they have been claiming that the moisture content is excessive than the permissible limit, without visiting our harvested wheat.”

The irked farmers raised anti-government and anti-Jind administration slogans and also announced to lock all gates of the grain market if the administration and the government failed to start purchase in the next 24 hours. Farmers also alleged the officers wanted to mint money from them by harassing them without any valid reasons.

Another farmer, Jagteshwar, alleged, “These officers want to earn commission by troubling us. But, we will not give any money as we have suffered huge losses due to the recent hailstorm, and now these officers are troubling us.”

The farmers alleged there were no arrangements or shelters for them to spend the night at the grain market. They alleged if another untimely rain damaged their crop, the concerned officers would be responsible and they would sit on an indefinite dharna.

Jind District Food and Civil supply controller Ashok Rawat said he had directed all the officers to immediately visit Uchana grain market and start the purchase of wheat.