Rainfall that lashed the region on Thursday has worsened the situation in grain markets across Karnal district, where slow lifting of procured paddy has emerged as a major challenge. With stocks piling up and little space available for fresh arrivals, farmers are struggling to unload their produce.
The delay in lifting has led to congestion in grain markets, causing difficulties for farmers, arhtiyas and procurement agencies. The rain has compounded their problems, drenching paddy lying in the open and raising concerns over the condition of the procured crop.
Karnal district has recorded a total paddy arrival of 6,63,501 MT, of which 6,06,914 MT has been procured. However, only 4,14,298 MT has been lifted, leaving a backlog of 1,92,616 MT in the grain markets, according to official data.
The situation is particularly concerning in several major grain markets. In Karnal, against an arrival of 97,840 MT, 91,212 MT was procured, but only 62,936 MT was lifted.
Gharaunda recorded an arrival of 59,985 MT, with 50,791 MT procured and 35,636 MT lifted. In Assandh, of the 1,15,282 MT that arrived, 1,00,962 MT was procured, while only 61,809 MT was lifted.
Taraori reported an arrival of 85,143 MT, of which 81,163 MT was procured and 58,015 MT lifted. Indri recorded an arrival of 79,279 MT, with 74,923 MT procured and 51,221 MT lifted. In Nilokheri, of the 12,682 MT that arrived, 12,322 MT was procured and 10,419 MT lifted.
Nissing recorded an arrival of 1,09,095 MT, with 98,160 MT procured and 66,492 MT lifted. Kunjpura reported an arrival of 17,186 MT, of which 17,072 MT was procured and 15,647 MT lifted.
Nigdhu recorded an arrival of 41,379 MT, with 38,908 MT procured and 25,192 MT lifted. Jundla, however, reported one of the most significant gaps, with only 2,693 MT lifted against an arrival of 45,630 MT and procurement of 41,401 MT.
Transporters have cited technical glitches in generating exit gate passes for loaded trucks as a major reason for the slow lifting. They said delays in the online process, particularly the non-generation of I-forms on the portal, were disrupting the movement of paddy to rice mills.
“We have raised the issue on all platforms, but we are still struggling to get exit gate passes issued quickly. The process is lengthy, and glitches in the portal, particularly when I-forms are not generated, bring lifting to a complete halt,” a transporter said.
Explaining the procedure, the transporter said that once a truck was loaded, the inspector uploaded its photograph and details on the portal. A confirmation was then sought from the transporter, followed by the market committee. After weighing, an exit gate pass was generated. Once the paddy reached the rice mill and was unloaded, an inward gate pass was issued. Any delay in the process prevented the same vehicle from being loaded again, further affecting operations.
Meanwhile, the district administration has directed procurement agencies to expedite the lifting of paddy. Deputy Commissioner Dr Anand Kumar Sharma said sub-divisional magistrates, nodal officers and procurement agencies had been instructed to ensure faster clearance of stocks.
“Transporters have also been asked to deploy additional vehicles for lifting paddy. We are hopeful that the majority of the stocks will be cleared from the grain markets. We are also monitoring any technical issues that may arise during the issuance of exit gate passes,” he said.
