BKU (Charuni) chief slaps food and supplies officer, booked
Unprecedented scenes were witnessed at the Mini Secretariat in Kurukshetra after BKU (Charuni) chief Gurnam Singh Charuni slapped a District Food and Supplies Controller (DFSC) on Wednesday.
Alleging irregularities and corrupt practices during the ongoing paddy procurement season, the farmer leader accused the officials of forcing farmers to sell paddy below MSP.
Addressing union members, Charuni, who also has a commission agent shop at a purchase centre, broke down and alleged that since he refused to give unauthorised cuts, there was no lifting from his shop.
Demanding smooth procurement, they have been staging a dharna at the Mini Secretariat since Tuesday evening. On Wednesday, more farmers started reaching the dharna site, and attempted to offload a tractor-trailer loaded with paddy to mark their resentment.
“We have made repeated requests to the administration and the government but to no avail. Thousands of quintals of paddy are getting damaged. Even last year, no stock was lifted from my shop. We had to get it lifted from another rice miller,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, DFSC Rajesh Kumar reached the spot to pacify the protesters. However, infuriated over the delay in lifting, Charuni allegedly slapped the DFSC. He and other union members were taken to Jhansa police station in a police van. After getting information, a large number of farmers gathered outside the police station. Later, they were taken to City Thanesar police station and a case was registered against Charuni and 15 others. They were released after they joined investigation.
Meanwhile, procurement was suspended in Kurukshetra by the procurement agency to mark resentment against the incident.
In the evening, Charuni said, “Grain markets and purchase centres are allotted to rice millers, who create a monopoly and impose cuts on farmers. We demand that the millers should be free to purchase paddy from any grain market. There are already 20 cases against me, I am not afraid of FIRs. We demand that the DFSC be suspended and a new officer be appointed at the earliest. A state body meeting will be held on October 25, and if our demands are not met, we will intensify the agitation.”
Kurukshetra SP Nitish Agarwal said, “A case was registered on the basis of the complaint received from the DFSC. The accused have joined the investigation, and further legal course of action will be taken accordingly.”
DC Vishram Kumar Meena said, “The demand of issuing the release order for lifting was already fulfilled and the DFSC had gone to hold a dialogue with the farmers. The farmers have been told that if they have any complaint against the DFSC, they should submit it in writing.”
‘Charuni commission agent, not farmer’
Meanwhile, refuting the allegations, the DFSC said the district was leading in the lifting of paddy and payment. So far, 85 per cent of the total procurement (6.67 LMT) had been lifted and 96 per cent payment had been cleared. Charuni had been raising issues related to his personal shop only and not related to the farming community, he alleged.
“He is a commission agent and not a farmer. I went there to discuss the issue but he started manhandling me. He had been threatening officials through videos. Employees are worried about their security. He has been hampering procurement. He should be arrested for creating a nuisance. I have raised the issue with the higher authorities,” he said.
Haryana Tribune