No bribe, no paddy procurement
Each farmer, whose name was drawn in lottery, will get a chance to sell one tonne of paddy to the government at Tk 26 per kg rate. But it has been alleged that the growers cannot sell their paddy without paying bribes to warehouse officers and labourers.
The government started buying paddy from farmers on December 15 last year and it will continue till mid-March. A total of 9,669 farmers who have been picked through lottery can sell their paddy to all the seven government food warehouses in the district. Each farmer can sell one tonne of paddy at Tk 26 per kg rate.
But the farmers are being harassed in various ways when they denied to pay Tk 500 to Tk 700 and Tk 1,000 to warehouse labourers and officers, alleged local growers, adding that especially farmers who come to sell their paddy in Puranbazar Kalibari and Dalpatti warehouses of Sadar upazila are the worst sufferers.
A target has been set to procure 9,669 tonnes of paddy from Lalmonirhat during the current Aman season. The paddy is being procured by seven government food warehouses in the district. About 3,83,800 tonnes of paddy have been harvested from 65,290 hectares of land in the district this year.
Lebul Islam, a farmer of Harati village in Sadar upazila, said “On the first day, the officer of Puranbazar Kalibari food warehouse returned my paddy showing the cause of moisture problem as I denied to pay bribe money. But two days after the incident, I could sell the same paddy when I paid the bribe money.”
Another agricultural card holder Ataur Rahman of Bhitorkuti village in the same upazila said they face various problem when they went to sell their paddy to the government food warehouse.
“If we protest over the corruption, we are harassed in various ways,” said Ataur.
Solaiman Ali, a farmer of Gobdha village in Aditmari upazila, said “I was very disappointed when the food officer of the warehouse in the upazila returned my paddy showing the cause of moisture problem. It happened as I refused to pay the bribe money.”
“I don’t want to face such hassle again. So, I sold my lottery coupon to a local broker at Tk 2,500,” said Solaiman.
Contacted, Shahinur Rahman, food officer of Puranbazar Kalibari warehouse, declined to make any comment on the issue.
District Food Controller Kazi Saifuddin said the government pays wages to warehouse workers through labour handling contractors.
“We gave clear instruction to warehouse staffers that no farmer would be harassed in selling their paddy. Despite the instruction, if any farmer is harassed, strict action will be taken in this regard after investigation,” he said.
Deputy Commissioner Abu Jafor said if proof of any government warehouse staffer’s involvement in irregularities is found, legal action will be taken after investigation.