Hry govt starts third round of physical verification of mills
Rice millers, who were up in arms against any such move, agree to cooperate with inspection teams provided they are not accompanied by police
› Even as we have asked the millers to cooperate with the teams as per the government’s directions, we slam the move to conduct repeated verifications of mills . JEWEL SINGLA, president, Haryana Rice Millers’ Association
KARNAL: The Haryana government on Saturday started the third round of physical verification of all rice mills in the state apprehending bogus procurement of paddy for government agencies by shellers who recently held protests and threatened to cancel the custommiller agreement against any such move.
The inspection teams formed by the state agriculture and food and supplies departments and the state agriculture marketing board will check the stock of procured paddy and rice besides the milling capacity of shellers.
Multiple verifications were necessitated after reports of alleged bogus procurement of paddy in the mandis of the state as 64 lakh metric tonne (MT) paddy reached the grain markets against the set target of 54 lakh MT.
Earlier this week, the rice millers protested at the district headquarters and threatened to cancel their agreement with the government if the decision to hold the third physical verification since the procurement began in October was not withdrawn.
But on Saturday, members of the Haryana Rice Millers’ Association in a meeting in Kurukshetra did a U-turn and assured their support to the government regarding the decision.
“We have decided to cooperate with the government to help it conduct physical verification. We have told the millers to cooperate with the inspection teams as per the government’s directions. But we will not cooperate if these teams come with police,” said Jewel Singla, president, Haryana Rice Millers’ Association while talking to mediapersons after the meeting.
Singla, however, slammed the government for conducting repeated verifications of rice mills, claiming there was no procurement scam and some people were blaming the rice millers out of their vested interests.
As many as 32 teams have been deputed to verify stock and records of 308 rice mills in Karnal district, 24 teams for 144 rice mills in Kurukshetra district, 14 each in Kaithal and Yamunanagar districts and three in Panipat, it is learnt.
The five-member teams have officials from the food and supply department, the state agriculture marketing board and three officials deputed by state headquarters.
“The teams deputed in Karnal are expected to complete the verification of all mills in a week,” deputy commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh said.