After Karnal scam, Kaithal markets flagged for late-night gate passes

After the alleged “ghost paddy procurement scam” in Karnal, similar discrepancies have now emerged in Kaithal district, putting the integrity of this year’s procurement season under scrutiny.

Although the Haryana Government officially ended paddy procurement on November 15, records indicate that the Cheeka grain market continued issuing gate passes even beyond the cut-off time. According to sources, gate pass entries were logged until midnight, and procurement was allegedly carried out on November 16 — without any authorised extension.

Insiders in the Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board (HSAMB) revealed that 48 gate passes were issued from Cheeka and 68 from the Arnoli purchase centre after the official closure. Procurement linked to several of these passes reportedly took place on November 16. A senior official said the post-deadline issuance “raises suspicions of proxy procurement, reportedly facilitated to benefit certain rice millers,” adding that the matter had serious implications.

This season, Kaithal district has recorded 890,995 MT of paddy, compared to 812,572 MT last year — a substantial jump despite extensive flooding in several nearby villages. Cheeka grain market alone registered 3,54,340 MT, exceeding last season’s 3,45,885 MT. Other markets also showed increased arrivals: Kaithal grain market logged 204,063 MT (183,597 MT last year), Dhand received 167,011 MT (138,494 MT), Pundri recorded 96,180 MT (76,096 MT), while Kalayat reported 17,754 MT (16,612 MT). Pai saw a marginal increase to 12,622 MT (12,205 MT), Rajound recorded 14,915 MT (13,650 MT). Only Siwan registered a decline, with 24,110 MT compared to 26,033 MT last season.

The continuation of arrivals and procurement after the official deadline has put procurement agencies and Market Committee officials under the scanner.

Kaithal Deputy Commissioner Preeti has ordered an inquiry to verify how procurement continued unlawfully. “I have asked the SDM Guhla to inquire into the matter and submit a report,” she said. The SDM will examine the sequence of events, identify procedural lapses, and review system logs.

Farmer unions have reacted sharply, demanding a Special Investigation Team (SIT). They have urged authorities to determine which employees’ login IDs were used to issue gate passes beyond the deadline, check who was on duty at that time, examine CCTV footage to verify actual arrivals, and release GPS tracking data of vehicles. They allege that inflated figures may have helped millers divert paddy through unofficial channels.

BKU (Charuni) Youth State president Vikram Kasana condemned the discrepancies. “The government ended procurement on November 15, but in Arnoli and Cheeka, gate passes were issued even till midnight. Procurement was shown on paper on November 16. This looks like proxy procurement to benefit some millers,” he said.

Kasana added that Kaithal’s increased procurement was unexpected given flood-related yield losses. Pointing to FIRs in Karnal and Yamunanagar, he said similar action was needed in Kaithal. “We demand a SIT for the entire procurement season, with two farmer representatives deputed at each mill to ensure transparency,” he added.