Farmers Allege Extortion In Mandi Committee's Name Near Kanpur Dehat Villages

Allegations of extortion in the name of the mandi committee have surfaced near Kesari Nivada and Bhevan villages in Kanpur Dehat. Farmers claim that they are being stopped while taking their crops to market and are being asked to pay substantial amounts despite carrying all the required documents. Several videos linked to the matter have gone viral, raising questions about the presence of security personnel and an alleged agent inside a car.

The report is by Vivek Trivedi from Kanpur Dehat.

The allegations have emerged at a time when the government is repeatedly saying that it is working to double farmers’ incomes, ensure that they receive a fair price for their produce and make them self-reliant. Farmers in the area, however, claim that the process of selling their crops is creating an additional burden for them.

For a farmer, growing a crop and taking it to the mandi is not merely a business activity. The crop is linked to the expectations of the entire family. The money earned from it is used for children’s education, household expenses and plans for the family’s future.

Farmers now allege that even after working hard in the fields and completing the required paperwork, they face demands for money while taking their produce for sale. They say the alleged collection is being carried out in the name of the mandi committee near Kesari Nivada and Bhevan villages.

According to the allegations, security personnel sitting in a car stop farmers and present themselves as mandi committee officials. It is further alleged that money is then collected from the farmers through a private agent.

Farmers claim that they are asked to pay substantial amounts even though they have all the necessary documents. They have also alleged that they are being repeatedly targeted and that the alleged collection continues on a daily basis.

The viral videos connected with the case have added to the questions surrounding the incident. The videos reportedly show security personnel and an alleged agent in a car. The material has led to questions about who these people are, which department they are connected with and whether they have any authority to stop farmers’ vehicles or collect money from them.

Farmers have also made allegations of different treatment for farmers and traders. They claim that farmers’ vehicles are stopped and subjected to questioning, while traders’ vehicles are allowed to pass easily.

The farmers further allege that traders’ vehicles are permitted to move ahead after conversations with the people stopping the vehicles. According to the farmers, they are instead made to face repeated difficulties while trying to sell their produce.

If these allegations are found to be correct, the issue would involve more than the alleged collection of money. It would also raise questions about whether the rules are being applied equally to farmers and traders. The allegations have led to questions about why farmers and traders are allegedly being treated differently in the name of checking and action.

Farmers who spoke on camera described the difficulties they say they are facing. They alleged that they are not spared even when they have all the required documents. Their concern is that if part of their hard-earned income has to be paid on the way while taking the crop for sale, very little may remain with them after the transaction.

The farmers’ concerns also relate to the expenses involved in cultivation. They have to bear the cost of farming, seeds, fertiliser, diesel and labour. If money is then allegedly collected when they take the crop to market, the financial effect on them can be serious.

The allegations have also raised questions about the difference between government policy and the situation on the ground. The government is working to increase farmers’ incomes, strengthen the agricultural system and make farmers financially stronger. Government schemes are also intended to ensure that farmers receive a better return for their work and that their lives improve.

But farmers claim that they face alleged illegal collection while going to sell their produce. If such allegations are established, questions would naturally arise about whether the benefits of these efforts are reaching farmers at the ground level.

The goal of increasing farmers’ incomes can be achieved only when the process of selling their crops remains transparent, farmers are not subjected to unnecessary difficulties and there is no scope for illegal collection at any level. The farmers’ allegations near Kesari Nivada and Bhevan villages have therefore brought the working of the process under scrutiny.

The biggest question now is what steps the responsible officials will take after the complaints of alleged collection in the name of the mandi committee have come to light. Farmers want to know whether the viral videos and their complaints will be investigated fairly.

It also needs to be clarified whether the people present at the spot are connected with any department and whether they have the authority to stop farmers’ vehicles or take money from them. These details would be important in establishing what happened and who, if anyone, was responsible.

At present, an impartial investigation into the allegations and responses from the concerned parties are necessary for the truth to become clear. If anyone is found guilty, action would need to be taken according to the rules.

The central question remains: when the country’s food supply depends on farmers’ hard work, why should the earnings from that work carry the burden of alleged collection?

The government is making efforts to make farmers prosperous, but responsibility also lies in protecting them from such difficulties while they take their produce for sale. The dream of doubling farmers’ incomes can become a reality only when their earnings are protected, they receive respect and alleged illegal collection is effectively stopped.

This report from Kanpur Dehat highlights the concerns of farmers who want the right value for their hard work and are looking to the system only for justice.