Procurement even after deadline, dept holds Rs 1.43 cr payment

The Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs Department has withheld payments amounting to Rs 1.43 crore for the procurement that has taken place a day after the official closing of the season at the Cheeka grain market and Arnoli purchase centre. The payment has been stopped pending the outcome of the investigation marked by the Deputy Commissioner.

As per an official, procurement was carried out on November 16 at the Cheeka market and Arnoli centre, despite the state government formally ending the procurement season on November 15.

“Since the investigation in this matter is going on, we have stopped the payments of the procurement at both the centres on November 16,” confirmed Nishant Rathi, District Food and Supplies Controller (DFSC), Kaithal.

However, he said Market Committee officials could not issue gate passes timely on the last day of procurement due to technical glitches in the server, which further resulted in delay in verifying the ‘J’ form of farmers. “The verification was done on the next day, on November 16, which is reflected on the portal as procurement,” he said. He further claimed that the purchase was done on the last day of procurement after a proper videography by the procurement agencies.

An insider from the Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board (HSAMB) revealed that 48 gate passes were issued post-deadline in Cheeka and 68 gate passes in Arnoli. He questioned how the grain continued to arrive after the government had already shut procurement operations. He said no arrivals were recorded at both centres for a couple of days before the deadline, yet a sudden surge of paddy appeared on the last day. He maintained that procurement was shown on November 16—a Sunday—despite policy forbidding procurement on Sundays.

“The issuing of gate passes and procurement beyond the cut-off raises suspicions of proxy procurement, possibly facilitated to benefit certain millers,” he alleged.

After the issue came to the notice, the then Deputy Commissioner Preeti ordered a detailed inquiry and directed the SDM to examine documentation and identify lapses.

BKU leaders have already demanded an inquiry from a sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.