The Shahabad Market Committee chairman has issued license suspension orders of a commission agent for allegedly not participating in the procurement process of sunflower seeds despite repeated directions.
The chairperson issued orders to suspend the license for 15 days for the commission agent, who is also the president of the commission agent association of the grain market.
The action against the association president Bittu Kalra was taken on the complaint of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) spokesman Rakesh Kumar Bains.
As per the information, unhappy with the commission of 1 per cent being offered in the procurement of sunflower seeds, the commission agents at the Shahabad grain market have not been participating in the procurement process. They have been demanding the commission of 2.5 per cent.
Rakesh Kumar said that on Thursday, he reached the grain market with nearly 30 quintals of sunflower seeds, and got the gate pass issued. The stock was taken to the shop of the president of the commission agents association but his stock was not accepted.
He said: “The state government had reduced the commission from 2.5 per cent to 1 per cent, following which the majority of commission agents at the Shahabad grain market decided not to participate in the procurement process. Farmers have also filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding the disruption of crop sales caused by the commission agents. We are not against the demands of the agents, but they have no rights to disturb the procurement process. They should raise their demands with the government and not compel the farmers to compensate them for the reduced commission.”
“The government had established 18 procurement centres across the state while procurement is underway at 17 purchase centres smoothly, only the commission agents at the Shahabad grain market have been causing inconvenience to the farmers. At Shahabad grain market, only 1 cooperative society and a commission agent are working as per the government’s directions,” he said.
Chairman of the market committee Shahabad Karan Raj Singh Toor said that a gate pass was issued, but the commission agent, who is also the president of the association, refused to sell the produce, following which the license was suspended. Some people have been trying to disturb the functioning of the grain market.
At the Shahabad market, the procurement is being ensured through the government procurement agencies. Due to the current situation, a large number of farmers are facing inconvenience and are forced to sell their produce at other grain markets. If the commission agents start participating, the farmers will be able to sell produce here, he said.
Meanwhile, Bittu Kalra, president of the commission agent association Shahabad Grain market, said that he has not received any orders regarding the suspension of license and said, “The commission agents are in no position to work on 1 per cent commission and the government should increase it to 2.5 per cent. We have been facilitating the farmers who had been associated with us for a long time, and we are getting their produce sold through the agency so that they don’t face any inconvenience.”
