Karnal, November 11
After a gap of 14 days, procurement of PR paddy has restarted at the Karnal grain market. Procurement had been stalled by agencies on account of an inquiry following an anonymous complaint to DC Nishant Kumar Yadav that ‘fake’ gate passes were being issued in various grain markets.
The DC had constituted four teams led by SDMs concerned. In Karnal mandi, SDM Ayush Sinha found that 294 gate passes were issued without PR paddy having arrived, after which an FIR was registered against the market committee secretary, eight gate operators and arhtiyas.
“Probe is under way at all grain markets, but procurement has been restarted,” said Yadav. District Food Supplies Controller Nishant Kumar Rathi said almost 90 per cent of the total paddy had been procured.
Rajnish Chaudhary, chief of the Karnal Arhtiyas Association, said a large number of arhtiyas and farmers had not received payment even after an assurance by CM Manohar Lal Khattar on payment in seven days. “Farmers are visiting the shops of arhtiyas for payment, but we have no answer as procurement agencies have not paid the dues.” They had demanded a list of arhtiyas who had received payment, but it was not given to them.
Meanwhile, the DC said 12.1 million tonnes of paddy, worth around Rs 2,400 crore, had been procured. — TNS
