Sirsa, Oct 28: Agricultural trade in Sirsa district faced friction on Tuesday evening as administrative action against non-compliant grain handling prompted local traders to call for a suspension of paddy purchases at the Kalanwali grain market. The Market Committee initiated three-day licence suspensions for 16 commission agents after verifying that paddy was being bagged without essential cleaning, winnowing, and removal of impurities. The move resulted in immediate protests by the Kachha Arhtiya Association, raising concerns over procurement and lifting timelines across the region.
Official representatives affirmed that administrative warnings had been systematically issued prior to taking punitive measures. District Marketing Enforcement Officer Rahul Kundu stated that compliance with established procurement rules is non-negotiable, noting that 55 commission agents had been served notices and assessed fines during the ongoing season. Authorities also cited equipment calibration issues, issuing notices to agents operating moisture-testing machines that registered readings 1 to 2 percentage points lower than standard government equipment.
Trader representatives maintained that commission agents face severe operational constraints during peak harvest arrivals. Arhtiya Association President Pradeep Jain declared that cleaning exceptionally large heaps of paddy presents significant practical challenges despite efforts by traders to turn over the grain. He asserted that commission agents were given inadequate time to respond to notices served late in the day, maintaining that traders were unfairly pressed into accepting uncleaned loads directly from farmers.
The regulatory crackdown was mirrored in adjacent mandis, with fines imposed on firms in Dabwali for similar non-compliance regarding grain cleaning standards. As trader associations call for shuttered storefronts until suspensions are lifted, market officials maintain that quality verification protocols will be upheld throughout the procurement cycle.
