Panel to check bogus paddy procurement in Karnal

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, October 27

The district administration has constituted a three-member committee to check grain markets following reports that paddy had been procured more than double the crop produced in the district.

The Tribune in its columns on Saturday reported that nearly 6.19 lakh metric tonnes of paddy had been produced in the district so far, while the procurement agencies had purchased 13.53 lakh metric tonnes.

Deputy Commissioner Aditya Dahiya constituted a three-member committee comprising the market committee secretary, mandi supervisor or auction recorder and an official of the procurement agency to ensure that only paddy belonging to farmers in the district is procured.

Dahiya in his order stated that no procurement would be done from Saturday unless cleared by the committee.

Sources said that on the directions of the Additional Chief Secretary (Food and Civil Supplies), Dahiya asked all SDMs, Zonal Administrator, Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board, and other officials to conduct surprise visits to grain markets to prevent purchase of paddy against bogus documents. About the procurement of more than twice the crop produced in the district, he said that it is the duty of the procurement agencies to ascertain the ownership of the paddy.

Meanwhile, a commission agent said that proxy procurement was being done in the name of bogus farmers to adjust the paddy or rice being brought from other states with the help of fake gate passes and bogus Form J.