BKU (Charuni) demands CBI probe into statewide ‘paddy scam’

Farmers under the banner of the BKU (Charuni) on Monday demanded a CBI probe into the alleged multi-crore paddy procurement scam in Haryana, accusing officials of procurement agencies and rice millers of large-scale corruption and collusion.

The demand was raised during a meeting of the union held at the Kisan Bhawan in Pundri under the chairmanship of district president Gurnam Pharl. The meeting was attended by state youth president Vikram Kasana, state vice-president Mahavir Chahal Nard, youth district president Vikram Dusain, and block president Randhir Barsana, among others.

Addressing the gathering, Kasana alleged that during the ongoing paddy season, government officials, market committee staff and rice millers in Kaithal district created fake gate passes, manipulated online procurement portals and J-forms, and were now illegally transporting cheap paddy from other states such as Uttar Pradesh to their mills.

“This collusion is defrauding the government and destroying local farmers’ livelihoods. The state must conduct a transparent physical verification of all rice mills immediately,” Kasana said. He questioned why the local farmers’ paddy would be purchased at MSP when rice mills were receiving cheap consignments from outside states. “Truckloads of paddy are arriving daily from UP and other states, while Haryana’s farmers are being ignored,” he said.

He said the BKU (Charuni) activists had caught several trucks carrying paddy from outside states and alerted the market committee and procurement agency officials, but none of them came to the spot, proving their involvement in the scam. The union plans to meet the Deputy Commissioner of Kaithal soon to demand a formal investigation and FIRs against guilty officials and millers, similar to the action taken in Karnal district.

“This scam spans across the entire state,” Kasana asserted. “The farmers deserve justice and accountability for their six months of hard labour. The government must ensure that those found guilty are prosecuted.”

District president Gurnam Pharl said that the BKU (Charuni) workers across Haryana are actively demanding an investigation into the scam. “Our teams have been formed at the state level to stop illegal paddy coming from outside the state. They are working day and night to intercept such trucks and hand them over to the authorities,” he said.

State vice-president Mahavir Chahal raised another issue, pointing out that there is a severe shortage of DAP fertilizer in the state, causing major inconvenience to the farmers. “Due to arbitrary practices by the fertiliser dealers, the farmers are being forced to buy unnecessary pesticides and medicines along with DAP. With the wheat sowing season approaching, the government must ensure immediate availability of fertilisers,” Chahal demanded