Space Crunch in Panipat as Gunny Bags Clog Grain Markets

Until Saturday evening, 7.5 lakh bags of procured wheat were lying in the open at the Samalkha grain market, 4 lakh bags at the Panipat grain market, around 2 lakh bags at the Madlauda grain market, 1.5 lakh at the Israna grain market, and about 2.5 lakh bags at the Bapoli grain market in the district.

According to Vijay Kumar, who works at the Panipat grain market, the delivery of goods at the market began on April 1, but hoisting of procured wheat has yet to commence. Two organisations, Hafed and Haryana Warehouse Corporation (HWC), were acquiring wheat crop at the Panipat grain market this year, but the tendering procedure had been delayed, he said.

Farmers' payments were also held up due to non-lifting, he said, because the government would not release the payment unless the yield was lifted.

According to Baljeet Singh, head of the Samalkha grain market, around 8 lakh bags have been purchased so far by Hafed, the Food and Civil Supplies Department, and the HWC.

But, he continued, lifting is moving at a snail's pace here. Lifting began today, and just 20,000 bags had been lifted by this evening, he noted.

According to Praveen Kumar, an arhtiya at the Israna grain market, the agencies have acquired up to 3 lakh bags so far, but 50% of the bags have been lifted.

According to Vijay Chhabra, president of the Arhtiya Association, Madlauda grain market, lifting has begun at the grain market, although it has been delayed because the lifting tender was awarded late this season. According to him, up to 2.5 lakh bags of procured wheat are sitting in the grain market.

According to Dalip Rawal, head of the Bapoli grain market, approximately 3.5 lakh bags have been procured by the HWC and Hafed so far, with approximately 2.5 lakh bags remaining in the grain market as of Saturday.