Fictitious paddy purchase: Govt orders inspection of millers’ records
Alarm bells rang after the ongoing procurement of paddy touched 64 lakh metric tonnes, exceeding the procurement target of 54 LMT set by the government for the season
CHANDIGARH/KARNAL: Rice millers in Haryana are making a kill through“fictitious purchase” of paddy. Alarm bells started ringing as the ongoing procurement of paddy touched 64 lakh metric tonnes (LMT), exceeding the procurement target of 54 LMT set by the government. The total paddy production is expected to be about 60 LMT out of which non-basmati variety will be 36 LMT, according to agriculture department estimates. In 2018, the government agencies had procured about 58 LMT paddy. Milling is an important stage in post-production of rice to remove the husk and produce edible white rice kernel.
The Council of Ministers, which held a meeting on Monday, ordered that the authorised representatives of the state government will inspect the records and stocks everyday during the milling season as per the agreement between the state government and millers. The unlisted item for cabinet discussion was considered at the instance of chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
“The modalities for inspections will be finalised by the chief secretary, the home secretary and secretary, food, civil supplies and consumer affairs. They may associate and secure the assistance of any organisation for this purpose,” said the cabinet order.
MODUS OPERANDI
Top officials familiar with the rip-off tactics said that rice millers often buy Basmati paddy and show it in records as the non-basmati variety. The government agencies only procure non-basmati paddy varieties. The millers later replace the Basmati rice with the non-basmati variety bought dirt cheap from other states.
“The miller sells the Basmati in open market at a higher rate and hands over the cheap milled paddy to the Food Corporation of India (FCI). In the process, he makes profit since he gets the minimum support price (MSP) of ₹1,840 per quintal for the paddy which he bought for much lesser price from other states,” said an official. Another modus operandi is to make paper purchase of paddy by getting only the mandi gate passes issued while no paddy physically arrived in the mandis, officials said.
“During a video conference we were told to form teams to inspect receipts of the rice millers,” said a deputy commissioner. Another DC said that the inspection teams will determine whether the paddy was procured or the miller brought the rice from elsewhere.
Quoting an instance, an official said for a geographical area about 2,520 square kilometres of Karnal district, 16.81 LMT of paddy has been procured. The average paddy production is about 25 quintal per acre and in some districts the production is on the higher side of about 30 quintal per acre. Going by the 25 quintal per acre productivity, an area of 2,689 square kilometre would be required for such productivity. The geographical area includes other infrastructure besides the farms. Similarly,
the geographical area of Kurukshetra district is about 1,530 square kilometres where 11.40 LMT paddy has been procured. Going by the 25 quintal per acre productivity norm, an area of about 1,825 square kilometre would be required for such output.
‘COMMISSION AGENTS, STATE AGRI OFFICIALS ALSO INVOLVED’
During interactions with stakeholders, it was found that not only rice millers but commission agents and officials of state agriculture marketing board were involved in the scam. Under pressure from the commission agents, farmers also help rice millers to get them gate passes by faking basmati as nonbasmati (parmal) variety.
According to the mandi officials in Karnal and adjoining districts, the government seems helpless in acting against the strong lobby of rice millers and commission agents. Fearing a protest by traders and rice millers ahead of the assembly elections, the government allowed procurement of parmal varieties even without registration on Meri Fasal Mera Byora.
“The government will have to implement Meri Fasal Mera Byora and direct payment to farmers to end this black-marketing to avoid losses and protect the interest of farmers”, says a marketing board official.