Jhajjar: Amid mounting distress in Haryana’s grain markets, Congress MP Deepender Hooda on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the state govt, flagging lapses in wheat procurement and calling for immediate systemic reforms. Following his visit to the Badli and Jhajjar mandis, Deepender highlighted a mismatch between arrivals and lifting, attributing the chaos largely to a malfunctioning e-procurement system.Describing the BJP-led administration as a “portal-driven govt”, Deepender alleged that the state’s e-kharid portal has remained non-functional during the crucial procurement window. “The system fails when farmers need it the most. Servers are down, transactions are stalled, and mandis are choked with unsold grain,” he said. ‘Of 5.5L, only 90k quintals wheat lifted’According to mandi stakeholders, over 5.5 lakh quintals of wheat have arrived so far, but only around 90,000 quintals have been lifted, leaving massive heaps of grain exposed in open yards. Despite the deployment of nearly 50 JCB machines in Jhajjar mandi, the pace of lifting remains alarmingly slow, he said.Farmers and commission agents (arhtiyas) have also flagged acute shortages of essential logistics, including gunny bags, tarpaulin sheets and labour, further compounding the crisis. Deepender warned that any untimely rainfall could result in significant crop damage, exacerbating farmers’ losses. ‘Revise 12% moisture cap’The Congress leader urged the state to relax grain quality and moisture norms in line with neighbouring Rajasthan. He specifically demanded a revision of the 12% moisture cap and flexibility in Food Corporation of India standards related to grain colour and quality. “If rainfall has impacted crops, penalising farmers through rigid norms is unjust. Relief must be extended immediately,” he asserted. Deepender also advocated the restoration of a parallel manual procurement mechanism alongside the digital system. “Technology should ease processes, not obstruct them. If the portal collapses, a manual fallback must ensure uninterrupted procurement and timely payments,” he said. He further criticised what he termed “arbitrary and burdensome” conditions imposed on farmers, including biometric verification, tractor authentication and the requirement of multiple guarantors. “These rules are pushing farmers away from mandis, forcing distress sales outside the regulated system,” Hooda added, demanding their immediate withdrawal. Taking a swipe at the govt, Deepender remarked that the current situation reflects “administrative apathy” and amounts to “rubbing salt into the wounds of farmers and arhtiyas”. He directed officials to ensure that every grain brought to the mandi is procured without excuses, stressing accountability in the procurement chain. Local MLAs Geeta Bhukkal and Kuldeep Vats, along with district Congress president Sanjay Yadav, were also present during the visit. MSID:: 130283923 413 |
