THE much hyped paddy procurement drive of the BJP led state government is turning out to be a totally fraudulent exercise. While the actual farmers are being deprived, middlemen are eating up the profit. 

Recently in Khowai subdivision, paddy procurement programme was held. It was widely circulated that the food department will procure paddy directly from the farmers. But farmers found to their astonishment that a number of non-farmers have also received 'Farmer Certificate' from the agriculture department. It is alleged that these middlemen coerced the farmers to sell their paddy to them at Rs 13 per kg and sold it to the food department at Rs 17.50 per kg.

While the real farmers waited in queue for hours, these middlemen with false certificates could sell their share of paddy without any problem. Also there are allegations of irregularities in the process of weighing. It is alleged that when these middlemen came to sell paddy,  proper weighing was avoided by the food department officials and the weight they themselves claimed was recorded without verification.

As the news spread, the two departments are busy in allegations and counter- allegations. The version of the food department is they are bound to procure paddy from those who possess a 'Farmer Certificate ' from agriculture department. 

While the agriculture department's version is the food department has opined against stringency in issuing Farmer Certificates.  Whoever wanted to sell paddy should be given the certificate. It is evident that the middlemen who had earlier bought paddy from the real farmers at a much cheaper rate are behind this pressure of the food department. At the same time it is also strange, how the agriculture department could bend its norms to issue the certificate. 

It is also alleged that middlemen from neighbouring subdivisions of Teliamura, Kamalpur, Jirania and Mohanpur too sold paddy to the food department using these false certificates.