Tribune News Service
Karnal, September 27
The procurement of PR varieties of paddy was started here today and around 130 quintals was procured in the Karnal grain market till 5pm.
“All four procurement agencies — HAFED, Food and Civil Supplies, Warehouse and FCI — have been directed to make arrangements. The procurement was done in a couple of grain markets here today and from tomorrow it will be done in all 15 grain markets,” said DC Nishant Kumar Yadav.
Meanwhile, a large number of farmers from UP were stopped at the Haryana-UP border in Manglora and Shergarh Tapu villages. They were coming to Karnal grain markets to sell paddy.
“We were going to Karnal grain market to sell our produce, but were stopped by the police and told that we can bring only basmati to sell in grain markets here,” said Sube Singh, a farmer from UP.
He said on the one hand, the Centre claimed to provide benefits of selling produce anywhere in the country, and on the other they were being stopped from selling it at the grain markets just 25 km from their homes.
“The farmers will be called as per the schedule to sell their produce from Monday,” Yadav said, adding farmers of other states had been stopped to ensure that no PR variety was brought to Karnal grain markets by farmers of other states. “They can bring basmati, which is not procured on MSP,” he added.
He said the duty magistrates along with police and market committee staff members had been deployed on the borders to ensure that only basmati crop from UP was allowed to enter in the Karnal grain markets.
Meanwhile, some arhtiyas had been served notices by the Taraori market committee for telling farmers to bring their produce to the grain market without following the schedule, leading to chaos.
