100 dubious gate passes detected in Pehowa market, claim farmers
Nitish Sharma
Kurukshetra, November 4
Farmers claim they have detected over 100 gate passes that were issued at the Pehowa grain market in Kurukshetra district to allegedly show fake sales during the ongoing procurement season.
It is pertinent to mention here that they are already seeking action against commission agents and officials concerned for the misuse of the Meri Fasal Mera Byora (MFMB) portal for the sale of paddy.
Land details sought to check portal misuse
Farmers have submitted complaints related to the MFMB portal and paddy sales. Details related to lands and crop sown this season have been sought from the revenue authorities. Tehsildars will verify land in Kurukshetra while details have been shared with respective DCs for verification of farmers, their land and produce for land situated in other districts. —Shantanu Sharma, Deputy commissioner, Kurukshetra
The Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) had raised apprehensions that fake gate passes were issued while no crop had arrived in the grain market.
BKU (Charuni) spokesman Prince Waraich, said, “We have apprehensions that fake details of land were uploaded for registration on the MFMB portal and later the same data was used to show fake sales in the grain market. We have detected over 100 gate passes issued at the Pehowa grain market that we suspect are fake.”
He said there were cases, in which the commission agents got registrations on the portal in the names of relatives, who belong to other districts. A market employee had also got a trading licence in the name of his wife.
He said such activities were not possible without the involvement of officials of the departments concerned. A detailed inquiry should be conducted to find out the truth. “We have requested the Kurukshetra Deputy Commissioner to check farmers’ land records and sales at the grain market, to ascertain the possible involvement of commission agents, ricer millers and market committee employees and fix accountability,” he added.
Sources said an inquiry was already underway and information related to the farmers from other districts, who have sold paddy in Kurukshetra was being gathered. Farmers belonging to Ambala, Karnal, Kaithal, Yamunanagar, Jind, Fatehabad, Hisar, Panchkula, Panipat and Sonepat have sold produce in various grain markets of Kurukshetra.
Kurukshetra Deputy Commissioner Shantanu Sharma said, “Farmers have submitted complaints related to the portal and sale of paddy. Details related to land and crop sown this season have been sought from the revenue authorities.”
He said tehsildars would verify land situated in Kurukshetra while details have been shared with respective deputy commissioners for verification of farmers, their land and produce for land situated in other districts. He added that appropriate action would be taken on the basis of the verification reports.
