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Haryana farmer leaders flag slow lifting, false moisture readings
In Narwana, farmer leader Gurnam Singh Charuni said growers had been waiting for days despite bringing paddy with moisture content within the prescribed 17% limit
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Paddy growers and farmer leaders in Narwana and Safidon grain markets of Jind district alleged that they are facing delays in procurement, slow lifting of stocks and disputes over moisture readings and yield limits.
In Narwana, farmer leader Gurnam Singh Charuni said growers had been waiting for days despite bringing paddy with moisture content within the prescribed 17% limit. Although procurement began on September 29, lifting remained slow, with only two trucks reportedly loaded on October 8 after farmer leaders announced a programme to highlight the issue.
The leaders also flagged a shortage of gunny bags and demanded action against commission agents allegedly refusing to facilitate procurement because of uncertainty over lifting. Representatives of procurement agencies assured them that additional procurement operations would be arranged if required to clear the backlog.
Farmer leader Abhimanyu Kuhar in Safidon grain market alleged discrepancies in moisture readings taken by different machines. They cited an instance in which one machine reportedly showed 22% moisture while another recorded 16% for the same paddy. Such variations could lead to rejection or deductions of ₹200-300 per quintal, they said, demanding that the market committee’s moisture meter be treated as the final authority.
The allegations could not be independently verified, and the response of the procurement agencies to the specific complaints was not available.
Representatives of several farmer organisations, including the Bhartiya Kisan Union, said they had joined hands to press for timely purchases, adequate transportation and an end to arbitrary deductions. On Friday, Jind deputy commissioner Vaishali Sharma visited Safidon grain market and inspected procurement operations. “ Our priority is to ensure that farmers do not face any inconvenience. If farmers have specific complaints regarding losses or unauthorised deductions, they should bring them to our notice so that an inquiry can be conducted,” she said.
Charuni opposes paddy dispatch to mills before weighing
Terming it a matter of concern for farmers’ interests and the transparency of the procurement system, the union demanded that the government reconsider the order and stay its implementation.
In its letter to additional chief secretary (ACS) of the department, Charuni on Friday argued that permitting paddy to be sent directly to the mills before weighing could compromise the monitoring system and the accuracy of the government paddy quantity.
On this, agriculture minister Shyam Singh Rana said “If any complaints of irregularities or corruption regarding this system are received, the government will take strict action,” he told the reporters in Kurukshetra.
