Haryana Agricultural Marketing Board orders probe, forms panel

Sanjay Bumbroo

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Panchkula, August 27

Concerned over issuing receipts after collecting money from vegetable and fruit vendors by the Municipal Corporation and councils, besides private people in kisan mandis, the Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board (HSAMB) has ordered an inquiry and formed a special team. The board was suffering a loss of Rs 36 lakh per year.

‘Illegal’ collection of market fee in kisan mandis

The issue of illegal collection came to the fore after Advocate Vijay Bansal, president of the Haryana Kisan Congress, brought the matter to the notice of the Chief Administrator, HSAMB.

A senior official of the board said the inquiry committee had been constituted to investigate the collection of market fee by the MC and private persons. A report would be submitted soon so that action could be taken against the guilty.

Vijay Bansal said as per Section 8 (g) of the Haryana Agricultural Produce Act – 1961, kisan mandis could be organised by the Mandi Board or the Market Committee.

He said the state government used to get revenue of around Rs 3 lakh per month and Rs 36 lakh per year from kisan mandis in the notified area under the Market Committee, Panchkula district. However, after the outbreak of the Covid pandemic, officials of the Panchkula Municipal Corporation and private people started issuing receipts for market fee being collected from vegetable and fruit vendors, thus violating the rules, besides causing loss to the HSAMB. Even the Haryana Agricultural Produce Act was also not being followed properly.

Raising the question that in what capacity officials of the Municipal Corporation and private people were collecting money in kisan mandis at Panchkula, Kalka and Pinjore, Bansal demanded that strict action should be taken against the culprits after thorough investigation. He alleged that some persons under political patronage were doing the illegal work of collecting market fee from vegetable and fruit vendors. Actually, no department other than the market committee of the mandi board could issue receipts after collecting money.

Bansal said when he was the chairman of the Kalka market committee of the Haryana Agricultural Marketing Board, he introduced kisan mandis in 1992 so that people could get vegetable and fruits at cheaper rates. He said earlier minimum rates were fixed by the market committee and no vegetable or fruit vendor could sell products at higher rates. Now, without any check, vendors were looting the general public by charging higher rates.

Report to be submitted soon

A senior official of the board said an inquiry committee had been constituted to investigate the collection of market fee by the MC and private persons. A report would be submitted soon so that action could be taken against the guilty.