SATISH HANDA

Haryana state government has deployed 156 teams to investigate alleged fraud worth crores of rupees by having physical verification of paddy crop stocks in 1314 rice mills in the state and also to check procurement of stocks by purchase agencies in grain markets, which not only incurred heavy financial loss to the farmers but also adversely affected nearly 30000 persons including commission agents in grain markets, labourers, employees working in rice mills and truck operators. Commission agents are also alleged involved in said fraud in which farmers are worst affected compelled to sell their paddy crop brought in grain markets at cheaper rates ranging between Rs 1500 to 1600 per quintal as against minimum support price fixed by the government Rs1800 per quintal when purchase agencies were not prepared to accept crop brought by farmers in the grain market in alliance with commission agents on the ground excess moisture or poor quality crop when farmers brought paddy stocks in grain market in urgent need of money left with no alternative except to sell their crop at lesser rates but in official record the procurement of crop shown sold at the minimum support prices.

During a recent media statement, Manohar Lal Khatter Chief Minister said that all those officers as well as rice millers involved in this scam would not be spared at any cost as such those government employees as well as rice millers involved in fraud are seen running here and there to save their skin. Preliminary investigations reveals that commission agents in the grain markets had played important role in such embezzlements to benefit rice millers and in few rice mills the investigation also teams detected few embezzlements finding lesser quantity of paddy stocks as compared to arrival of stocks in their records in rice mills. Information also reveals, in few cases rice millers also procured sub standard quality paddy crop from adjoining states for milling resulting the quantity of paddy stocks was found excess in rice mills. However, both Congress leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda former chief minister and INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala raised this issue in Vidhan Sabha when physical investigation in all 1214 rice mills in the state was ordered by the state government. Government has decided to take stern action against those involved in this scam caused financial loss to the farmers and benefit to rice millers.

Meanwhile, Bajrang Das Garg, sate president Haryana Vyapar Mandal accuse state government for harassing rice millers in the name of physical verification of paddy stocks in rice mills whereas government purchase agencies procured paddy crop through Market Board and all records are available with Market Board as well as government agencies. He said, in case such harassment to the rice millers continued it would severely affect not only rice industry due to closure of large number of rice mills in the state but also nearly 30 thousand persons associated with this industry. Garg accuses state government for harassing, causing harm to rice millers in order to divert public attention towards Rs 5000 crore illegal mining scam in the state.