Scrap arhtiya system: Farm unions

Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 1

Backing the Union Government’s direction to the Punjab Government to end the arhtiya system, farmer unions said they had been demanding for long that payments should be made directly to farmers.

The Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution had asked the state government to do away with the arhtiya system and make direct payments to farmers on crops procured under the Minimum Support Price.

The demand has been put up by the umbrella organisation of seven farmer organisations, including the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ugrahana), Krantikari Kisan Union, Punjab, Bhartiya Kisan Union Dakaunda, BKU (Krantikari), Kirti Kisan Union, Kisan Sangharsh Committee, Azad Sangarsh Committee.

Darshan Pal of Krantikari Kisan Union said arhtiyas were parasites who should be called money lenders instead of commission agents.

Their system of credit should be made more transparent and if farmers borrow money from them, it should be recorded in passbooks like banks do, he said.

The government should carry out annual audit of their records to control the fleecing of farmers.

Instead of splurging money on them, it should be spent on the development of villages, said farmer organisations.

Sukhdev Singh Kokri, general secretary of Bhartiya Kisan Union(Ugrahan), said, “The government should bring a law to control money lenders. And as per the pre-poll promise, the Congress government should write off the debt, which farmers owe to the moneylenders.”

However, Vijay Kalra, president, Federation of Arhtiyas Association, Punjab, said it was not possible for the government to handle procurement without the involvement of arhtiyas.

“In August 2009, they announced to make direct payment but there was a huge strike which was supported by farmers as well. In emergency situations, it is only arhtiyas who can give them money, not banks.”

Darshan Singh, president, Arhtiya Association, Barnala said if the government wishes, it can start with just one district on a pilot basis.

“The arhtiyas don’t just act as money transfer agents but also take care of crop for weeks as farmers unload the crop and leave the mandi. It is us who clean the crop and hand it over it to procurement agencies,” he said.