1L quintals of PR paddy not procured, farmers annoyed

Parveen Arora
Tribune News Service
Karnal, November 5

A state government’s decision of procuring the PR variety of paddy of only those farmers registered on the Meri Fasal Mera Byora portal means that 1 lakh quintals of produce of unregistered farmers would go unsold unless the authorities give in to protest by the BKU.

About 500 farmers in the district have been affected by the government’s decision.

The state government had stopped procurement of the PR variety in September, citing that procurement agencies had purchased more than the target. But later, the government issued a fresh order, saying that the PR paddy would be procured of only those farmers registered on the portal.

Sunder Singh Kamboj, secretary, Karnal grain market, has confirmed that paddy of only registered farmers have been purchased. “We are following the government orders,” he said.

Ishwar Rana, District Marketing Enforcement Officer (DMEO), Karnal, said 1.04 lakh quintals of paddy of unregistered farmers were lying in grain markets of the district. “About 21,000 quintals of produce was lying in the Karnal grain market, around 40,000 quintals in Indri, 8,000 quintals in Nissing, 7,000 quintals in Assandh, 5,000 quintals in Gharaunda, 300 in Gheer, 600 quintals in Nilokheri and around 20,000 quintals in Taraori,” he said.

He maintains “Meri Fasal, Mera Byora” is an online portal launched by the Haryana Government to provide the farmers multiple services on a single portal including farmer registration, crop registration and farm details to be recorded online.

He further said, “The authorities had launched a massive awareness campaign between July and September, urging farmers to get themselves registered on the portal, but they did not pay heed.”

Meanwhile, farmers under the banner of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) held a state-level protest at the grain market here, demanding procurement of paddy.

“Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar should keep his word of procuring each and every grain. Paddy must be purchased, or else the BKU will continue its protest across the state,” said Rattan Mann, president, BKU.