Haryana Assembly Speaker and Gharaunda MLA Harvinder Kalyan on Wednesday said more rice millers were expected to join the ongoing paddy procurement process from Thursday, following a government decision aimed at addressing delays caused by inadequate participation from millers.
Kalyan visited the grain market in Gharaunda to review procurement arrangements amid concerns among farmers over the absence of rice millers. He interacted with farmers, commission agents and market committee officials, and also checked the moisture content of paddy piled in the market.
Deputy Commissioner Anand Kumar Sharma and Sub-Divisional Magistrate Anubhav Mehta accompanied him during the visit.
Speaking to reporters, Kalyan acknowledged that procurement had faced difficulties in recent days because of a shortage of participating millers.
“Procurement has been slightly delayed due to insufficient millers. However, today the government decided that rice millers who have delivered 80% of their rice can purchase paddy in the market. With this decision, many more millers will now be involved in the procurement process starting tomorrow,” he said.
The Assembly Speaker also noted that sudden changes in weather could disrupt procurement operations and add to farmers’ difficulties. He said the administration was supporting farmers during the ongoing season.
More mills expected to join procurement in Gharaunda
Sharma said 165 rice mills, including 100 local units, were participating in the procurement process across the district, except in Gharaunda.
However, four to five additional mills, including some local units, had now agreed to take part in the purchase process, he said.
“I’m hopeful more will join in coming days, which will gradually improve the situation and help the farmers,” the Deputy Commissioner said.
The decision allowing millers who have delivered 80% of their rice to purchase paddy is expected to bring more participants into the process and ease the delays reported by farmers.
Shahbad bans paddy drying at rice mills
In a separate measure in Kurukshetra district, Shahbad Sub-Divisional Magistrate Shambhu Rathi announced that paddy drying at rice mills had been stopped.
Rathi said the decision was taken because sufficient space was available at the grain market and to prevent the issuance of fake gate passes. With space constraints no longer an issue, farmers would not need to take their paddy to rice mills for drying, he said.
The SDM added that the restriction was intended to improve transparency and prevent fraud in the procurement process.
He also said that, from Thursday, gate passes would no longer be issued for paddy transported in sacks on trolleys.