Firms disappear without paying farmers for crop

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, June 16

Around 1,000 farmers of Charkhi Dadri district were left high and dry as two private firms have disappeared from the town without making payment for their mustard produce procured during the kharif procurement season.

The police have registered four criminal cases on the complaint of farmers, who came to know about the disappearance of the family members of the two firms when they came to collect their sale proceeds.

The commission agents who owned the two firms — Kirori Mal Ramkumar Trading Company and Jai Dada Gusai Trading Company —are Manish, Niranjan, Jagdish, Krishan, Roshan Lal and Ramniwas. They have been booked under Section 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the IPC.

Charkhi Dadri DC Mukesh Ahuja today constituted a committee headed by SDM Satbir Kundu and urged the affected farmers to inform the committee about non-payment of crops.

Market Committee official Shyam Sunder, who is a member of the committee, said they had sealed the two offices of the firms.

Revealing the modus operandi, he said, “The trading firm dealt with the farmers in good faith. The farmers brought their produce to the trading firm. The owners used to take the gate pass and other relevant documents from the farmers and assured that they would make the payment later. After some time, all family members of the two firms disappeared without making any payment to the farmers.”

Sources said it seemed that the farmers of around 18 villages had been duped of Rs 400 crore to Rs 500 crore though the exact amount could be compiled after all affected farmers approach the administration.