Karnal: HCS-level officers appointed to check bogus procurement of paddy

Parveen Arora

Karnal, October 3

In a bid to strengthen the procurement mechanism and ensure transparency by checking the issuance of fake gate passes or “ghost” purchase of paddy, the district administration has increased vigil in all grain markets.

State buys 8.06 LMT of paddy, 1.14 LMT of millet

• The state government has procured 8.06 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of paddy and 1.14 LMT of millet during the ongoing kharif season. A total payment of Rs 690 crore has been disbursed directly into the accounts of over 32,000 farmers for their crop purchases
• A press note said here today that Haryana had become the first state in India to initiate the procurement of kharif crops in September as against usual October 1
• The paddy procurement began on September 25 and 231 mandis were established across the state. The set target for paddy procurement during the kharif marketing season is 60 LMT

Apart from deploying officials of different departments as mandi incharges, DC Anish Yadav has appointed HCS-level officials as mandi-wise nodal officers to monitor the arrival, procurement and lifting of paddy.

Fifteen purchase centres and grain markets have been set up for paddy procurement this season. Karnal SDM Anubhav Mehta has been appointed nodal officer of Nigdhu and Nissing grain markets, while MD (Sugar Mill) Hitender Sharma has been given charge of Karnal, Kunjpura and Jundla grain markets. Zila parishad CEO Gaurav Kumar has been assigned Taraori and Nilokheri markets and Samanabahu purchase centre. Indri SDM Ashok Kumar is incharge of Indri, Gheer and Biana, while Assandh SDM Virender Dhool is nodal officer of Salwan and Ballah mandis. Gharaunda SDM Aditi has been given charge of Gharaunda market.

“Nodal officers, along with mandi incharges, have been appointed to ensure smooth procurement and check bogus purchase. They will ensure all CCTV cameras at grain markets are functional,” said Anish Yadav.

GPS-enabled vehicles have been roped in to track the supply of paddy for custom milling from grain markets to rice millers, he said.

The issuance of fake gate passes and proxy procurement came to light last season when the CM’s flying squad raided various markets and rice mills. A number of scooters, cars and tractors were used for multiple rounds for the delivery of paddy to various mills for custom milling. The police had arrested the secretary of the Jundla market committee, a miller and two inspectors of the Food Civil Supplies and Consumers Affairs Department for bogus procurement.

The Chief Administrator, Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board, had suspended eight employees of the Karnal grain market allegedly for not making entries of paddy on e-NAM portal.