Traders bring paddy in trucks from other states

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, October 14

Even as farmers in the grain market here are waiting for their produce to be procured for the past several days, traders, allegedly in connivance with officials, are bringing paddy from other states in the Karnal grain market in trucks.

Farmers claimed it to be a nexus between officials and  traders due to which paddy in trucks from other states was being procured quickly, while they had to wait for two to three days to sell their produce.

Harbhajan Singh, a farmer, alleged that he had been in the grain market for the past two days, but his paddy was not procured, while several traders had brought paddy in trucks that was procured quickly.

Surinder Kumar, another farmer, said farmers had been harassed on the pretext of moisture in their paddy, while traders were bringing paddy in trucks and there was no check on it. He said farmers could not afford to bring paddy in trucks to the grain market.

An official of the Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board (HSAMB) says farmers usually bring their produce in tractor-trailers. Trucks are used to bring a huge produce to the grain market from other states. He admitted that paddy was being brought from neighbouring states. “If a farmer brings paddy in a truck, he must have the documents of his land. With the size of landholdings reduced now, a farmer could not afford a truck,” he said.

Surinder Singh, secretary, market committee, Karnal, said they had been making efforts to stop this practice.

The farmers also alleged that they had not been given the payment of their produce since the first day of the procurement.

“I had sold paddy worth around Rs 2.5 lakh on the first day of government procurement, but no payment has been released to me so far,” said Puran Singh, a farmer from Dhakwala village.

Randhir Singh, another farmer, said his payment of more than Rs 80,000 was pending. “My paddy was procured on October 1, but despite several visits, no payment has been made,” he added.

Kushal Boora, DFSC, admitted that due to some technical reasons, the payment could not be released, but now the problem had been solved and it would be released to farmers.

Aditya Dahiya, DC, said, “We have approached the department regarding the release of the payment and they had assured to release it. Regarding bringing paddy in trucks, I have directed all secretaries to increase the vigil and not to allow paddy in trucks. I will get Karnal grain market checked.”