Haryana: Gate passes deleted amid no-show of paddy from UP, reveals Probe

By Bhavey Nagpal

Days after the Karnal district administration sou moto took up the probe into the alleged discrepancies in the issuance of gate passes at grain markets, it has now come to the fore that the deleted gate passes were issued for vehicles expected to bring in paddy from Uttar Pradesh, which did not arrive.

A probe team set-up by deputy commissioner (DC) Uttam Singh under additional deputy commissioner (ADC) Yash Jaluka along with assistant commissioner under training (ACUT) Yogesh Saini and other officials had found that a total of 1,865 gate passes, showing the arrival of over 1 lakh quintals of crop, have been deleted at 10 mandis in the district.

The team found that the deleted gate passes were issued on registration numbers of the vehicles that were not found in the CCTV footage, which suggested that the vehicles were non-existent and the registration numbers were thus fake.

An official, not wishing to be named, said that the gate passes were first issued in anticipation of the arrival of paddy from Uttar Pradesh and were deleted when the vehicles did not arrive.

The crop from neighbouring states is generally brought here as it is of cheaper price, but this season the rate of paddy increased in UP due to which the crop did not arrive and the passes were deleted, the official quoted above, said.

Like every year, the inter-state border nakkas were set-up ahead of the kharif season to restrict the entry of farmers with paddy from UP.

As per the data shared, a total of 1,865 gate passes of nearly 1,02,878 quintals were deleted at ten-grain markets, including the highest number of entries of 773 gate passes of 42,648 quintals at the Nissing market.

“The officials of the marketing committee contended that such passes must be of private purchase at the mandis, which does not seem to be true,” the ADC had said.

Sources said that the deletion of passes in such a huge number hints towards the involvement of the officials of the market committees as well as commission agents, rice millers and other officials involved in the procurement.

DC Uttam Singh said that the report with the findings of the probe team has been forwarded to the chief administrator of the Haryana state agricultural marketing board for a thorough investigation.

This article has been republished from The Hindustan Times.