Why Haryana Govt has halted paddy arrival from other states

With reports of paddy being brought from other states into Haryana’s grain markets, the state government has launched a massive crackdown to ensure transparency and protect the interests of genuine farmers. Inter-state checkpoints (nakas) have been set up to prevent fraudulent activities, including the illegal entry of paddy from neighbouring states. Here is what you need to know about the issue which triggered the action, what irregularities have been detected, and what steps the government and district administrations are taking to curb the problem.

What prompted the CM to order registration of FIRs and strict action?

Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini chaired a high-level review meeting on Saturday to assess the ongoing procurement of paddy and bajra and ensure complete transparency in the process. During the meeting, officials reported serious irregularities in e-procurement portal entries and H-Register auctions at certain mandis of the state. While some employees and officers had already been suspended, the CM directed that FIRs must also be registered against them to ensure full accountability. He made it clear that the state government would not tolerate corruption or manipulation in the procurement process under any circumstances.

 How much crop has been procured so far in the state?

According to official data available till October 26 (afternoon), gate passes for 54.79 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of paddy have been issued across Haryana’s grain markets. Out of this, 52.92 lakh MT of paddy has already been procured. More than Rs 10,000 crore has been credited directly into the bank accounts of the farmers. The procurement operations in most mandis are progressing smoothly, and the government has reiterated its commitment to purchasing every grain of produce grown by the Haryana’s farmers.

What irregularities were detected at Karnal markets?

The investigation began after an unusually high arrival of paddy was recorded in Karnal grain markets, even though the harvesting was delayed and the overall yield was lower this year. Officials suspect that fake gate passes may have been generated using different IP addresses, indicating manipulation of the e-procurement portal. Three employees of the Karnal grain market have been suspended for alleged irregularities, and a comprehensive investigation is going on. Deputy Commissioner Uttam Singh has deputed special teams to cross-verify actual crop production in the fields with the paddy arrivals recorded in mandis under the farmers’ names. Two inter-state nakas have been set up at Manglora and Shergarh Tapu on the Haryana–Uttar Pradesh border to prevent illegal transportation of paddy from UP. The DC and SP Ganga Ram Punia are inspecting these nakas regularly to ensure transparency. Long queues of vehicles, including trucks loaded with paddy, can be seen on the Haryana-UP border, which have been denied entries in Haryana. The authorities suspect that paddy is being brought at cheaper prices from UP and other states and sold in Haryana’s mandis in the name of local farmers.

Why has physical verification been ordered?

Chief Minister Saini has instructed all district administration officers to conduct regular visits to mandis and directly interact with the farmers to ensure that procurement is genuine and transparent. He also directed that physical verification of rice mills receiving paddy be conducted periodically to match actual stock with the records of the paddy allotted to them. Any negligence or corruption detected at any level would invite immediate disciplinary action. In Karnal, the DC has already ordered detailed physical verification and instructed all Subdivisional Magistrates (SDMs) to ensure that the quantity of paddy in mills matches the entries on the e-procurement and MFMB portals.

What is the suspected modus operandi behind the fraud?

Insiders have revealed a well-organised fraudulent network involving some traders, millers, and middlemen, allegedly operating with the assistance of a few corrupt officials. As per the sources, traders buy cheaper paddy from Uttar Pradesh and other neighbouring states, transport it illegally to Haryana’s mandis, and then present it as locally grown produce using fake farmer IDs and bogus gate passes. Some officials reportedly approve these entries on the portal to make the transactions show them genuine. The illegally sourced paddy is then supplied to the rice millers, who use it to adjust their custom milled rice (CMR) obligations to government agencies. This manipulation allows the traders and millers to earn Rs 400–Rs 600 per quintal in profit, while the state government incurs major financial losses and genuine farmers face delays and disruptions in selling their produce.

Why does this issue keep recurring in Haryana?

The illegal inflow of public distribution system (PDS) rice and paddy into Haryana is not new. Every procurement season, especially in paddy-growing districts like Karnal, Kaithal, and Kurukshetra, similar irregularities surface. Despite previous crackdowns, the same patterns continue — fake gate passes, multiple entries, deleted records, and mismatched data on the procurement portals. The officials admit that the traders exploit price differences between states and loopholes in the verification system to bring in paddy from outside and pass it off as local produce. This year too, Karnal district administrations have expressed suspicion of such irregularities and are conducting field verification to detect any fraud.

What do experts recommend to fix the problem?

Experts suggest adopting a technology-driven transparency model to permanently resolve the issue. Verification of crops immediately after cultivation through satellite mapping and field surveys, along with OTP-based gate pass issuance, linked directly to the farmer’s registered mobile number, to prevent fake entries, real-time cross-verification between the MFMB and e-Kharid portals to ensure data consistency, deployment of officials of different departments at entry gates of grain markets and mills to check the arrival, third-party audits of procurement records and rice mill stocks to identify discrepancies.