New digital system delays paddy purchase in Sirsa

Sirsa’s grain market reopened for private paddy procurement on Monday after a three-day break, drawing farmers from nearby villages eager to sell their produce. Following efforts to clear earlier stock and expedite lifting operations, farmers began arriving from Sunday night itself, stacking paddy neatly in the yard by morning.

However, the first day of trading turned difficult as farmers faced hurdles with a new digital system introduced by the state government to make the process more transparent and curb bogus sales. The system requires farmers to obtain tokens through the Meri Fasal-Mera Byora portal using a mobile number registered on the platform, verified through a location-based OTP.

Technical glitches, sluggish servers and lack of clear instructions led to long delays. The older web-based system at the market committee’s registration counter was not functioning, while the new mobile app repeatedly froze. Farmers said they stood in queues for hours without success, as the app often failed to open and location verification did not work properly.

Market committee officials said the location-based system had been designed to enhance transparency and prevent fraudulent transactions. They acknowledged initial technical problems but assured that these would be rectified soon.