Paddy procured is double the produce

Parveen Arora
Tribune News Service
Karnal, October 26

Procurement agencies in Karnal have already purchased more than double the total paddy produced in the district and the harvesting season is not yet over.

The Tribune has learnt that due to a nexus between procurement agencies, marketing board officials, millers and traders, PDS rice from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar is being pushed into the procurement stream by showing it as rice delivered against custom milling of paddy.

Since no paddy against this rice is needed by millers, its procurement is shown only on paper by procuring fake gate passes, etc.

Paddy from UP is being brought to the state much to the detriment of local farmers, who allege that their crop is being rejected on one pretext or the other.

“I brought paddy to this grain market on Wednesday and have been asked to wait as the moisture content is high. I have been informed that it will be sold for anything between Rs 1,500 and Rs 1,550 per quintal,” alleged a farmer in the Karnal grain market.

According to the data available with the state Agriculture Department, paddy is grown on 1.72 lakh hectare in the district. With 40 per cent of it under basmati cultivation, grade A paddy was grown on around 1.03 lakh hectare.

With average yield in the district being 6 tonne per hectare, the total paddy production in the district should be around 6.19 lakh tonne. However, the procurement agencies have already procured 13.53 lakh tonne of paddy and the procurement is not yet over.

Karnal Arhtiyas Association president Rajnish Chaudhary admitted that paddy was being brought from UP and other states to Karnal district. The administration should increase vigil at inter-state ‘nakas’ to check the arrival of paddy from other states. He, however, evaded a reply on allegations of PDS or other cheaper quality rice being pushed into the procurement stream.

Haryana Rice Millers and Dealers Association vice-president Vinod Goel said farmers from Haryana, who owned land in UP, could bring paddy to the Karnal grain market. There was no ban on trade of paddy from other states, he said.

How it happens?

• Paddy crop purchased by state procurement agencies on behalf of FCI
• Sent to millers for milling (leave it to the millers to procure on their behalf)
• Millers have to deliver 67 kg of rice against 100 kg of paddy to FCI
• Millers who already have ‘PDS’ rice or other cheaper rice stored with them make procurement only on paper by procuring gate pass, Form J and other documents in collusion with the officials of procurement agencies and marketing board
• Through a bogus procurement, the millers not only take away price of their inferior rice as per MSP of the paddy, but also get milling charges and other benefits without actually purchasing any crop