The Paddy procurement in Haryana has not commenced on a promising note amidst reports of protests made by farmers and rice millers in the state.
While the rice millers in Haryana have refused to lift paddy in Haryana till their demands are met, farmers in Haryana have been protesting for last three days alleging non-lifting of paddy by government as well as private agencies.
As much as 124,959 metric tonnes of paddy arrival across various terminal market in Haryana has been reported till yesterday.
The rice millers in the state have threatened not to lift any paddy arriving in the terminal market (mandis) till their demands are met.
Rice millers on behalf of government agencies normally procure the paddy at terminal markets and after cleaning and milling it supply it to Food Corporation of India (FCI), for which they are paid milling charges.
The rice millers in Haryana have alleged the state government agencies have been penalising the millers in the state. The millers maintained alleged state government agencies have imposed charges on millers for not delivering paddy to FCI within prescribed limit. Millers maintain due to want of space with FCI , paddy could not be supplied to FCI and now they are being penalised.
More From This Section
Rattan Mann, National Vice President, Bharti Kisan Union alleged that while the procurement of paddy at terminal market should have commenced from October 1 the process was delayed. The paddy arriving at the market remained lying there as government agencies and millers continued refused to lift the paddy.
Mann maintained continued protest by farmers in Haryana for three days resulted in government agencies and private agencies finally succumbing to the pressure.
The government agencies maintained that since moisture content was beyond prescribed limits in the early arriving varieties of paddy it was not lifted.