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‘Paddy procurement delay’: SKM locks market committee offices in Haryana
Because government procurement agencies do not reach the market on time to purchase, private buyers are purchasing the paddy crop at rates lower than the MSP of ₹2,461 per quintal
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The members of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Wednesday locked and surrounded the market committee offices at grain markets across the state for three hours to protest alleged failures in government crop procurement, non-receipt of minimum support price (MSP) and fertiliser shortages.
Farmer leaders said discrepancies occurred in paddy purchase regarding MSP, moisture and weighting.
Because government procurement agencies do not reach the market on time to purchase, private buyers are purchasing the paddy crop at rates lower than the MSP of ₹2,461 per quintal, they said.
Protesting at the new grain market in Karnal, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU)’s Sir Chhotu Ram Bahadur Mehla Baldi, alleged that in many places, rates are lowered by rigging the machines regarding moisture parameters.
BKU state president Ratan Mann said farmers are being harassed and looted in the market on lame pretexts, such as fixing the produce purchase per acre, under the guise of digital data entry.
“Right under the nose of the market secretary, traders and corrupt commission agents are looting innocent farmers in broad daylight and the staff of market committees remain silent spectators. The Haryana government is not working in any way to stop the looting of farmers in the mandis,” he said.
At the new grain market in Ambala city, Tejveer Singh, a member of BKU Shaheed Bhagat Singh, claimed that farmers are being harassed regarding moisture; that is, when the weather becomes humid, 20% moisture should be fixed instead of 17%, as the moisture is due to the weather condition.
“Government procurement agencies are not coming to the market on time to make purchases, due to which private buyers are arbitrarily purchasing crops at cheap prices. There is confusion regarding the weighing of crops in the mandis because the government ordered weighing with digital scales last year, but it has not been implemented,” he said.
In Kurukshetra’s Pehowa, farmers placed sacks of unsold paddy outside the market committee secretary’s office door.
Farmer leader Prince Waraich said, “Procurement started on September 30, but since then farmers have not been able to sell their crop even below the permissible moisture limits. Even if the crop is procured, there is no lifting and payments are stuck. It seems that the government and mandi board have gone missing for a month, leaving all administration to the millers, who are looting the farmers.”
In Hisar, farmers accused the government of claiming to procure 24 crops at MSP, while failing to ensure fair prices in the mandis.
Farmer leader Shamsher Nambardar said the MSP for paddy was ₹2,441 per quintal, but complaints were coming in of sales at ₹2,000–2,100 per quintal.
Farmers further complained that their crops had been left to get wet in the open during rain while sheds were used as warehouses, adding to their difficulties in protecting and selling produce.
Regarding fertilisers, protesters said they had been waiting for days for diammonium phosphate (DAP) at cooperative societies and shops. They also alleged that stocks were available in godowns but were not being distributed on the pretext that they had not been entered on the portal.
Leaders warned that further agitation would be carried out as decided by the SKM and that they would support a call for a Haryana bandh if necessary.
In Uklana, farmer leaders Mian Singh Bithmara and Sharbat Singh Punia led the protesters, who submitted a memorandum of demands to the secretary of the market committee.
The secretary said procurement by the warehousing corporation had been scheduled for the day and the concerned purchaser had been called repeatedly, but he did not arrive. He added that higher authorities would be informed in writing.
Mian Singh alleged that farmers were being harassed in the purchase process and denied fair value for their crop. He also objected to per-acre limits, district-linked conditions and mandatory portal formalities, which they said created difficulties in selling produce through the government system.
