Commission agents in Haryana oppose online procurement

KARNAL: The Haryana government’s decision to introduce online procurement and give the option of direct payment to farmers has sparked controversy even before its implementation with the commission agents opposing the move strongly.

The commission agents have decided to hold a statewide rally in Karnal on September 23 against the move.

Haryana agriculture minister OP Dhankar had recently stated that the government will provide the option of direct payment to farmers.

COMMISSION AGENTS’ CONCERN

The commission agents are not ready to admit any black marketing and corruption in the mandis, which the government is aiming to check with the new move.

They allege that if the farmers are given the payment directly, the latter will not return the money borrowed from them.

“Most of the farmers will not return the money they borrow from commission agents on high interest rates, if they get the payment directly in their account. We cannot take any action against them if they refuse to return the money,” said Naresh Kumar, a commission agent of Kurukshetra district.

Talking to HT, Haryana Beopar Mandal president Bajrang Dass Garg said the government does not have the required infrastructure to implement the decision. “If there is corruption in the mandis, it is only because of the government employees.”

FARMERS CONFUSED

Though the government is claiming that the decision has been taken in the interest of the farmers, the peasants are not clear whether the move will help them or not as the government has not launched any awareness campaign in this regard.

On the other hand, the commission agents are misleading the farmers that the government may deduct the payment of pending loans and electricity bills from their accounts and will not make the entire payment of their produce.

“We know that the decision will benefit the farmers but the government should take farmers into confidence before implementing the decision and it should also ensure that the farmers will get the payment without any delay”, Haryana Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) president Ratan Mann said. “We urge the government to bring more clarity on the issue and start an awareness campaign in this regard,” he added.

MOVE AIMED AT AGRI REFORMS: GOVT

Talking to HT, a senior official working on the project said e-trading is an essential step to end the black marketing and corruption from the grain markets and provide direct payment to the farmers on time.

Official sources said 54 of the 108 grain markets in the state have already been linked with the online trading system.