Bal Krishan Singla, president of the federation of associations of ahrtiyas, told The Indian Express here today that the Financial Commissioner (Development) had issued orders on March 30 allowing private millers and traders to make direct purchases of foodgrains from farmers. In pursuance of these orders, the government has already specified 26 purchase centres in the state, where direct purchase of foodgrains has been allowed.

A number of ahrtiyas, when spoken to, said the new system would put the farmers at a disadvantage as the miller or the private trader would quote his own price for procuring foodgrains. The farmer would have to be at the mercy of the trader and there were bound to be differences in weighing, labour charges and even the payments of farmers would not be secure.

The new system, they pointed out, would mean rendering unemployed or underemployed a large number of labourers now working with the ahrtiyas in different grain markets in the city. On an average an ahrtiya has up to 10 labourers working in his shop and when the entire procurement trade is taken over by private traders and millers, they would not employ so much labour. They would prefer to have the farmers bring the produce to their premises.

Bal Krishan Singla said there was a total of 9 per cent cess and taxes on farm produce that was sold in the grain markets and the state government earns a revenue of over Rs 1,000 crore by way of taxes and levies from marketing of farm produce every year. There are officials of different departments, including the Punjab mandi board, who keep a watch on the arrivals of foodgrains in the mandis so that there was no evasion of taxes.

However, when traders would make direct purchases in their premises, it would not be practical to have a check on evasion of these taxes. This would mean a loss of revenue to the state government.

Singla said in Patiala and its vicinity alone there were 90 shellers, 500 mini-flood mills and 20 oil mills and it was simply impossible to keep a watch on all the purchases made by the private traders in these premises. No government agency can keep a vigil on such big number of private buyers.

Underlying the role of ahrtiyas in farm economy, he said that according to the latest survey the advances to farmers totalled Rs 5700 crore. Of this, ahrtiyas alone had paid Rs 3,200 crore. The ahrtiyas also serve as 24-hour banks of the farmers who give advance to them without any security.

The federation of association of ahrtiyas has demanded acbi probe into the matter.

A deputation of the ahrtiyas would meet the Financial Commissioner (Development) on June 18 at Chandigarh in this connection.