With the Haryana Government gearing up to start e-procurement from October 1, the commission agents (arthiyas) in the State on Thursday observed strike in grain markers against the online system.
Alleging that the online system would lead to chaos, hitting commission agents as well as farmers, the Haryana Pradesh Arthiya Sangarash Smiti said that it would not be successful. The Smiti also demanded changes in the online procurement system.
Haryana MoS for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Karan Dev Kamboj on Thursday said that strike would not be the solution of problems of commission agents.
The e-procurement will make the system transparent and prevent theft of market fee, benefiting farmers as well as the agents. Payments to farmers would be credited to their bank accounts, said he.
Kamboj also met a delegation of commission agents late Thursday evening to hear their grievances.
Under the e-procurement system, all agents would be connected to the Government’s server. Thereafter, farmers would be linked through the agents. For the success of this system, all agents would have to upload the names of farmers and their addresses and telephone numbers on the server.
Meanwhile, the Congress has alleged that the online system of procurement being pressed into service in Haryana from October 1, and the conditionalities attached for making payment to the farmers for their produce procured, are fraught with many “ifs” and “buts” and may well rob the farmers of their hard earned income.
Kiran Choudhry, leader of the Haryana Congress legislature Party, said that this bares the real anti-farmer face of the BJP Government led by Chief Minister Manohar lal.