Cut out, commission agents protest direct payments to farmers

AMBALA: All grain markets in the state would observe one-day strike on January 15 and hold a rally in Jind on January 23 against the government’s policy of online purchase of the grain. Haryana Pradesh Vyapar Mandal state president Bajrang Garg said that they were protesting against the state government for not releasing the payments to the farmers through arhtiyas (commission agents).

On the other hand, farmers have praise the move of direct payments. They are, however, opposing the ceiling on the quantity of produce to be procured. The government is promoting ‘Meri Fasal, Mera Byora’ (MSMB) scheme making it compulsory for the farmers to register their crop in order to sell the produce in grain markets.

Garg said, “The government has started collecting data of the farmers, their crops, and bank account details to start the direct payment system to the farmers. We are opposing this move as it is not acceptable and it is against the arhtiya system.”

He claimed, “The direct payment and e-trading are not beneficial for the farmers and they would not get the deserving price for their produce. The Arhtiyas and the farmers are in a relationship from a long period of time and it is not possible to break this tradition. We are going on strike on January 15 against the policy of e-trading and direct payments.”

Ambala’s agriculture deputy director Girish Nagpal said, “The government has made it compulsory for the farmers to enroll themselves under MSMB. As per the guidelines, in the coming time, only the farmers enrolled in this scheme would be able to sell their produce in the market. At present, the departments of panchayat, market committees, animal husbandry, agriculture and 499 Saksham Yuvas are working to collect data from the farmers in the district. The direct payments for the wheat production would be given for the first time and recently bajra payments were made directly to farmers.”

District food supplies controller Nishant Rathee told TOI, “The MSMB scheme would help in controlling the inter-state trading of the grain crops that is why the arhtiyas are opposing it as they benefited from this so far. The government would have an estimate in advance about the expected crop to be procured in a particular season and the payments would be directly transferred to the farmers as per the price. The agents pay advance to the farmers and believe the amount would get stuck with the farmers and they would face inconveniences if the farmers do not return the amount already paid to them. So far, arthiyas have refused to share the bank details of the farmers. The Centre has put immense pressure on the state government to make direct payments to the farmers.”

Reacting to the development, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Haryana) state president Gurnam Singh Charuni said, “The move of direct payment to the farmers is appreciated. However, MSMB scheme has many irregularities and it should be transparent and in favour of farmers. The government already has data of land owned by the farmers and the crops sown. The arhtiyas are also correct on their part as the e-trading of the crops should happen. This scheme could help the paddy growers as illegal paddy is being bought by the rice millers and arhtiyas from other states at lower rates to sell to agencies here at higher rates. There should be no ceiling on the quantity of procurement on any crop.”