Kasel elected district chief of arhtiya association

Tarn Taran, July 21

Kulbir Singh Kasel was elected unopposed as the district president of the Federation of Arhtiya Association (FAA), Punjab. Vijay Kalra, state president and Amarjit Singh Brar, state general secretary of the Federation were the chief guests at the district-level meeting held at Sutlej Palace, Harike, today.

The representatives of arhtiyas from all 45 grain markets of the district participated in the meeting. Kulbir Singh Kasel, who was elected the district president, highlighted the problems of arhtiyas, flaying the allotting of tender for lifting of grain from the mandis of the district to the close associates of leaders of the ruling party. He said that mostly, the tenders were allotted to the politically influential persons who did not even have even a single truck for lifting the grain from the mandis. As a result, an acute problem of lifting is created at the peak season of wheat and paddy. He said officials delayed the payment to arhtiyas after the lifting of grain and an amount of Rs 14 lakh is yet to be paid to the arhtiyas of Kot Budha Mandi for the lifting of wheat crop.

Kasel said that tenders should be allotted to those who have sufficient number of trucks to lift the grain from the mandis. He demanded an end to corruption in the godowns in the name of ‘double Dala’ where Rs 5 was received from the arhtiyas against each bag for de-loading in the godowns and that the payment be made early to the arhtiyas of Kot Budha Mandi.