For years, millers have formed cartels to control paddy procurement in the State. They have kept senior Government officers and top politicians in their clutches and been exploiting the farmers, alleged the Navnirman Krushak Sangathan (NKS) here on Wednesday.
The Food an Civil Supplies Minister, district Collectors, ARCSs and Supplies Officer are involved in looting the farmer. The former Food Supplies Minister, who is now the Assembly Speaker,has threatened that if the miller indulge in ‘Katni-Chhatni’ he would put them behind bars.
But he didn’t touch them. This has emboldened the millers, alleged NKS State coordinator Sheshadev Nanda at a Press conference.
Earlier, the CAG had pointed that more than Rs 400 crore was being looted due to the Katni-Chhatni and irregularities at the mandis. But still the Government did not wake up from slumber.
Though the court had said that no third person or millers’ agents can be present at the mandis, the Government officials are advising that the millers staffs should be present, Nanda said.
This year, there is a target to procure 71 lakh metric tonnes of paddy. If Katni-Chhatni of four kg of paddy is done per quintal, then more than Rs 511 crore would go to the pockets of millers. Besides, in the earlier years, Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 crore was looted by millers from the sale of sacks. This year, it is expected that half of that amount would be looted, he alleged.