Haryana Stops UP Paddy Vehicles at Border as Procurement Begins

The start of government procurement of paddy at Haryana’s mandis has increased the difficulties faced by farmers from Uttar Pradesh. Vehicles carrying paddy from Uttar Pradesh are being stopped at the Uttar Pradesh-Haryana border on the Meerut-Karnal Highway. The action has led to long queues of vehicles at the border, causing serious problems for farmers and truck drivers.

The Haryana government is providing the benefit of government procurement only to farmers from its own state. As a result, vehicles carrying coarse paddy from Uttar Pradesh are being stopped at the Uttar Pradesh side of the border before they can enter Haryana.

Farmers from Uttar Pradesh have been taking their produce to mandis in Haryana. However, when the paddy is coarse, they are being sent back from the border itself. After the sale of paddy began in Haryana, the administration increased monitoring at the border to prevent coarse paddy from other states from entering the state.

The move has been taken following orders from the Karnal District Magistrate. Six teams of sector magistrates have been formed for monitoring at the border. Each team has been assigned a duty of four hours. With the help of the police, vehicles carrying paddy from Uttar Pradesh to Haryana are being checked.

Farmers say that the stoppage of paddy vehicles at the Uttar Pradesh-Haryana border is increasing their problems. They say their produce is not reaching the mandi on time. Because of this delay, they are also facing financial losses.

It is being said that the Haryana government is not purchasing paddy from farmers in Uttar Pradesh while keeping the interests of farmers in Haryana in mind. The argument is that the arrival of paddy from Uttar Pradesh could affect farmers in Haryana.

Another reason behind the restrictions is the difference in paddy prices in the two states. The difference between the paddy rates in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana is around 1,000 rupees to 1400 rupees. The rate of paddy in Haryana is 1,000 rupees higher than in Uttar Pradesh.

Because of this price difference, most farmers from Uttar Pradesh prefer to sell their paddy in Haryana instead of selling it in Uttar Pradesh. They hope to receive a higher price for their crop in Haryana. The movement of paddy vehicles from Uttar Pradesh to Haryana has therefore increased after procurement began in the neighbouring state.

Long queues of vehicles have been seen at Bidoli, located on the Haryana-Uttar Pradesh border on the Meerut-Karnal Highway in the Jhijhana police station area. Trucks have been standing in a line along the roadside since the night. The drivers are waiting to find out when they will be allowed to enter Haryana.

Truck drivers said they had been standing there since the morning. They said they had only been told that the road ahead had been closed and that vehicles carrying paddy had been stopped. However, they said they had not been informed why the paddy vehicles were being stopped.

The authorities of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have given their own explanations regarding the action at the border. SDM Un Deepika Mehar said that no vehicle carrying farmers’ paddy was being stopped from the Uttar Pradesh side. She said the vehicles were being stopped by the Haryana state authorities.

Deepika Mehar said that vehicles carrying basmati paddy were not being stopped. According to her, only vehicles carrying coarse paddy were being stopped. She also said that among these vehicles, those belonging to traders were being stopped and that no vehicle belonging to a farmer was being stopped.

District Marketing Officer Vijay Singh also provided information about the matter. He said he had personally gone to the spot for an inspection. According to Vijay Singh, the vehicles were being stopped because checking their documents was taking some time.

He said the vehicles being held were those belonging to traders. Vijay Singh also said that no vehicle carrying a farmer’s paddy was being stopped.

SDM Karnal Colonel Devendra Sharma gave another explanation regarding the action. He said the paddy vehicles being stopped were carrying outside paddy. He said checkpoints had been set up to stop such paddy so that its illegal purchase could not take place at the mandis and the government did not suffer a loss.

The statements of the officials from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana present different arguments about why the vehicles are being stopped. The Uttar Pradesh side has said that farmer vehicles are not being stopped and that action is being taken against vehicles linked to traders. The Haryana side has said that checkpoints are needed to prevent the illegal purchase of outside paddy at its mandis and to protect government revenue.

Despite the explanations given by officials on both sides, the situation at the border has clearly created difficulties for farmers from Uttar Pradesh. Their paddy is not reaching the Haryana mandis on time, while the long lines of trucks at Bidoli continue as drivers wait for permission to enter Haryana.