Delay in tenders hits wheat lifting in Haryana
Almost 95 per cent of the wheat crop has arrived at grain markets in Panipat and Sonepat, but the lifting of the procured stock is yet to pick up pace.
As per the data available, only 52 per cent of the procured wheat had been lifted from the grain markets in Panipat till Sunday evening. Only 43 per cent wheat was lifted from mandis in Sonepat district. The main reason behind the tardy lifting of procured wheat is the delay in the tendering process for transportation and labour this rabi season.
A senior official, on the condition of anonymity, said that state agency Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department is responsible for lifting of procured crops in the state. For the past many years, tenders for transportation and labour had been finalised by a district-level committee (DLC) headed by Deputy Commissioner. But this year, the tender process was finalised by the state-level committee (SLC) at the headquarters. The DLC had sent the tenders on time to SLC, but approval at the SLC level got delayed.
Vinod Sehrawat, president, Gohana grain market, said that as many as 15.5 lakh bags are lying in the market. Of these, around 4.5 lakh bags are outside the mandi due to lack of space. Earlier, the tenders of transportation and labour were finalised in February, almost a month before the start of procurement. But this year, the tender was allotted on April 19, Sehrawat added. Crop arrival at the mandi began on April 1.
In Panipat, the total arrival of wheat was 2.06 lakh metric tonne (MT) till Saturday evening. Of this, government agencies have procured 1.93 lakh MT.
In Sonepat, procurement is being done at 16 centres in the district of which Gohana and Kharkhoda grain market are the biggest purchase centres. Government agencies had procured 2.79 lakh MT till Saturday evening.
Due to the slow pace of lifting, grain markets in Panipat and Sonepat are full of wheat bags. The payment of farmers is also stuck due to tardy lifting as the payment is not released by the government till the procured wheat reaches godowns, said Baljeet Singh, president, Samalkha grain market.
Lalit Siwach, Deputy Commissioner, Sonepat, said that earlier, tenders for transportation and labour were decided at the district level, but this year, the tenders have been finalised at the state level. The tender for Gohana mandi, the biggest centre in the district, was finalised on April 19, an hour after receiving a letter from headquarters. The lifting would pick up pace soon, the DC maintained.
Virender Dahiya, Deputy Commissioner, Panipat, said that delay in tendering for transportation was the main reason behind the slow pace of lifting. But now, it has improved and Panipat district was on number 9 in the state till Saturday evening. “I joined here on April 12 after that, tenders were finalised and lifting was started,” the DC said.
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